Shard
by Halosson
Summary: A mysterious stranger arrives at Beacon bloodied, barely alive, and bringing more than one dangerous secret with him. Who is he? What's the deal with his glowing crystal? More importantly, what is his connection to Ruby's long lost mother? As the past comes back to haunt him, in more ways than one, Aero must find his place in this new world, lest it be destroyed. My first fanfic
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Aero! Get up!"

Aero could barely make out the voice of the man standing on the other side of the chamber. His ears were ringing loudly after getting his head slammed into a pillar following one nasty energy shot that sent him flying across the room. He had just enough time to activate a small shield on his back, but the pain still came on impact. Luckily, the pillar was able to withstand the force. Aero was already crushed a few inches deep into solid stone. A roof falling on his head wouldn't have made his situation any better.

"Now Aero, I know that didn't kill you. I've seen you take harder hits than that. Hell, I've given some to you."

Aero's vision came back into focus as the man began walking in his direction. He wore a pitch black set of Totomian robes with brilliant violet highlights running across the fabric, matching his dark hair. Though it didn't show well, there were small plates of Adamantine underneath those robes glimmering through the small slashes Aero had been able to make.

Aero guessed he should've taken that as protection as a form of praise. For people like he and Risse, armor was nearly unnecessary in normal combat. Of course, this was hardly a sparring duel. The collapsed walls, torn tapestry and other assorted forms of rubble showed how intense their fight had become. They'd even managed to make a few holes in the dome above their heads. A few more redirected attacks and the whole castle might have collapsed.

"Why," Aero asked as he worked my way out of the stone. He fell and landed on his feet with a fleeting moment of unevenness, his breathing coarse, but slowing. "What's the point of this? You have power, fame, love. What more do you want?"

"It isn't about what I want," said Risse. "It is about what is good for the people of Totum. The _true_ descendents of our powerful lines." As he got closer, Aero could make out the necklace he wore. On it was the symbol of Totum, a cut diamond-shape with a pair of wings jetting from the sides. The crystal in the center was a deep, rich purple, like the last glimpse of dusk before nightfall. It was the same color as his eyes.

"The peace we knew," he continued, "is gone. The foolish king, Halos, who you blindly serve, has driven us to ruin."

"You are truly insane," Aero said. "You may not have noticed, but the one destroying this city is you!" He pointed out the window where a battlefield was opened up to them. Smoke was rising from the buildings and screams of fear and rage blended with the clash of metal on metal. The tower's height gave a great view of the ensuing chaos of the coup.

"No, Aero. What you see is how we will thrive again. Our nation has become weak. Our enemies are plotting against us and what does Halos do? Nothing! For us to reclaim the power we once had, this is necessary."

"What we were before was evil!" He reached out his hands toward the dual blades lying near him. Each had two blades rising from the hilt, leaving a small space between them. The necklace Aero wore, a sterling silver crystal shining in the center, began to glow as he drew power from it. His blades began to glow with the same shimmering light as they flew into his hands. He flipped them in his fingers to hold them each in a reversed grip.

"The power we had nearly destroyed us, along with the rest of the world," Aero said as he pointed to his necklace. "We were killers. Warmongers. If we hadn't limited our use of the Shards, we would have all died in those constant wars!"

"We were in no danger of dying, Aero." He lifted his right arm to the sky, in his hand a double ended blade with violet text engraved on the hilt. "The sky could not hold us back! We were invincible. Untouchable. We were gods!"

"We are not gods, Risse! We were demons, like those beasts you have let into our city! The same beasts you are allowing to slaughter your own people." Aero had tears in his eyes as he thought of them, the Creatures of Grimm, running rampant through the streets, attacking those he was sworn to protect.

"Do not call me by that name!" Risse jumped at Aero, slashing his blade in a twirling motion as Aero countered with a similar movement. A series of rapid slashes continued, some making glancing hits on their bodies, their normally massive Aura's slowly draining down. Aero pulled energy from his Beta, enough to cause his whole upper body to become encased in the light, and swung at his opponent with both swords. Risse was knocked back a few feet from the hit, but barely wounded. He didn't even bother to raise a shield.

"Why can't you see that this is how the world is meant to be," he said. "The Grimm can be controlled with this." He pointed to his own Shard. "They can be conquered, as you can see, and once I've taken the remaining Shards, no power will be able to threaten this world again. Then, and only then, will we have peace, but we must first do away with this way of things."

He fired a violet blast of condensed power from his hand. Aero slashed it away with his charged blades, the mixing of energy causing arcs of lightning to shoot to the side. The many charred spots on his grey-silver robes reminded him of that redirecting those blasts was his priority. If the full frontal force didn't kill him, the conflicting powers of Beta and Omega would.

Risse fired another blast, one that Aero was nearly able to redirect at him. He managed to dodge effortlessly at the last second with a smirk on his face. Aero would probably be smiling to if he were in Risse's position. Here Aero was gasping for breath from calling too much on Beta while the dark haired man was holding back. Risse wouldn't be able to kill Aero in one shot, but he knew that even without Omega giving him a power up, he probably wouldn't win this fight. He just wanted to see how far he'd go.

"If peace involves killing your own people," Aero said between gasps, "then I want none of it. I don't care if I die. One of the others will take you down."

"You honestly think they can succeed where both you and Halos have failed. Even if Dunden joined the fight with you now, do you honestly think you could win?" He dashed forward at a blinding speed and punched Aero hard in the gut, knocking him to his knees. Aero coughed up a bit of blood before feeling his hand wrap around his throat. Risse lifted him up so Aero's silver-blue eyes were on level with his.

"I am no longer Risse," he said as he knocked Aero's swords away and lifted his blade to his throat. "Life is over. I am Rize. Death. In me, this world will finally be free."

"How could killing those you love make them free!"

He smiled and laughed lightly under his breath.

"Who ever said I was going to let them stay dead?"

He pointed to the entryway leading to the stairwell. It was hard to see through the dust filled air, but three figures slowly emerged from the shadows. For a moment, Aero thought the guards, poor souls taken by...Rize…, had somehow survived the wounds they'd been given, but the figures weren't them. At least, they weren't them anymore.

Their armor was slashed, compliments of Rize's blade, and blood was stained along the line. One had been impaled. One's torso had been dented inward by a ferocious blast; however, none of their wounds were open. Instead, each had been filled by a matrix of interlocking, purple crystals. Small patterns of the same violet stones were visible on open patches of skin and they seemed to move with every second that passed. Their eyes were open, but there was no life in them. They were nearly black.

"Those… those are…" Aero couldn't bring his thoughts to his mouth. Before him stood an evil the world had long thought gone; abominations not seen in years. Though he had never seen one in person, he knew the form.

"Yes," said Rize. "You know what these are. I must say, the stories don't do these creatures credit. Even I am amazed at the potency of the venom in their veins. I never imagined the effects would manifest so soon."

"You… you…," Aero stuttered.

"I what? Broke the laws of this world? Recreated monsters? Both are true, but is that really so bad? As you can see," he said as his eyes flashed purple, "there are certainly benefits to this little transformation."

Rize lowered his blade and threw Aero backwards, causing him to skid before recomposing himself. One of the guard's eyes glowed with a similar light as his body began to tense up and convulse. Rize showed the smallest amount of frustration on his face and flashed his eyes once more. This time, the guard stopped his movement and turned in Aero's direction.

Before he could react, the mangled body jumped at Aero with a speed normal humans shouldn't be able to reach. His hand, now like a claw because of the crystal encasing it, slashed at Aero's head. He dodged to the side, picked up his blades and used the motion to bisect his attacker. He hesitated for a moment, but then remembered what his father had told him about these creatures. They weren't human. They weren't even alive.

"Well done, Aero," Rize said as he smiled at him. "You are the first warrior in almost 20 years to face a Fractal and live. Of course, what you killed was only a newborn. The transformation wasn't even complete yet."

"Fractals," Aero said, looking at the body, "are abominations. Soulless creatures. They aren't meant to exist!"

"Oh, Aero," he said, shaking his head. "The body of a Fractal is one of immortality. It is improved in every way. Stronger, faster, impervious to pain, and perpetually powered by Omega. Once this is the form of the world, all sorrow and misery won't even be a memory.

"The reason they don't feel pain is because they don't feel anything! Those are nothing but reanimated corpses! Worse than Grimm! They're dead!"

"And your point is?"

"You aren't trying to save this world," he said, gripping his swords tighter, "you're trying to kill it."

He sighed and shook his head.

"I guess there is no getting through to you," he said, looking almost sad. "I would have liked having you alive. Maybe we could have found a way to retain your consciousness in the Fractal state. Then you could've helped me maintain order forever."

His eyes glowed again and the other two Fractals charged forward, this time holding their swords. Aero swung at them, trying to bisect them as he had the first. He wasn't sure exactly what could kill them, so he wanted to use what he knew would work; however, his plan didn't work quite as well the second time. They blocked with their swords, but Aero had caught one of them in the space between his split blades. He twisted his wrist and flung the weapon from that one's hand and launched a quick stab into it, finishing the monster off.

The attack only lasted for a second, but it was enough time for the other to slash at him with his free hand, making huge gashes on his upper arm. Aero screamed in pain for a moment before using his now unoccupied left hand to slice the monster's head clean off. He took a moment to try and move his right arm. It felt like it was burning and he could barely make it move. He was able to hold the blade at his side, but his arm was hanging limply.

"Now _that_ ," Rize said, "was unexpected. And disappointing. I honestly didn't think they'd be able to touch you, but here you are a bloody mess with an arm that looks like it may fall off."

Aero was barely able to stay calm. He was a dual-swordsman. Fighting with one hand was an option, but it wouldn't be nearly as effective, especially against someone as powerful as Rize. He could use Beta, but he would be able to aim any blasts with my right arm. Gripping wouldn't be effective against him. He didn't know what to do. His body wouldn't move. Maybe...

"I am sorry, Aero," Rize said walking towards him, putting a blade to his neck, "You would have made my plans go so much smoother, but, I will give you a last gift. Because you hate my Fractals so much, I will spare you the fate of becoming one."

Everything started moving in slow motion for Aero. He heard his heart beat faster than he ever had before. He thought about everyone he knew. Everyone he loved. Father, Acrose, Selena, Jen, Zek, Dunden… Quinn.

"And about them being soulless…"

He looked into Aero's eyes.

"I don't believe in souls."

 _Everyone_ , he thought, _I'm sorry_.

Then, almost faster than the eye could follow, a sword swung at Rize's face, matched with a blinding kick to the stomach, which knocked him back hard. In Rize's spot stood a grown woman, around Rize's age. She held a thin, red sword, dripping with a small amount of blood, and a long white hood. She pulled back her hood to reveal her pale skin, long black hair and scarlet tips. She turned to Aero and smiled sweetly. He could almost see his reflection in her silver eyes.

"You should know better," she said, never giving up her smile. "You don't always have to fight on your own." She turned back to Rize, who was still in a mild shock, but standing up. It was too bad her amazing speed could only happen with a recharge. Then she could have landed another blow to Rize. Maybe even finish him. Not even he could match her speed completely.

"And before you say anything," she continued, "I know I can't win, but I do know how, and so do you. Are you ready?"

She held her hand out and in it were four rings with gleaming gems in the center. A fiery crimson, a radiant emerald, a piercing yellow, and a deep sapphire blue. The remaining Shards.

"Wait," Aero said, "does this mean that…?"

He couldn't bring myself to say it. These rings were in the possession of the other Bearers. If she had them, then maybe that meant…

"Don't worry. They're fine. I'm just borrowing these. Now, are you ready? We have to be quick." She gestured over to Rize. "Sneak attacks only work once."

"I can't," Aero protested. "If anything goes wrong…"

"Trust me."

She spoke softly, like a mother soothing her child. The fear in Aero's heart was still there, but he felt it start to fade slightly. He understood the risk, especially the risk to her, but he also understood the necessity. Rize had to be stopped.

"Okay."

She nodded with a smile and tossed Aero the rings. He caught them with his Grip and, unlike most other objects, the glow of each turned their respective colors. They both turned to Rize, who had recovered from the sudden blow. His breathing, though a little raspy, quickly slowed. He even had a small trickle of blood running from a cut on his cheek, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Of course _you_ would survive," he said.

"Duh," she said with a smirk.

"You know, for someone so fast, your mind must be pretty slow," he said with a laugh. "To think you would actually bring the Shards here…" He raised his hand toward her. He fired a blast at her, but this time the energy was more condensed. It was almost spherical and a direct hit would mean certain death. She hadn't recovered enough Aura to do another massive sprint, so she crossed her arms in front of her, bracing herself for the impact.

But it never came. Rize's attack smashed against a wall of light Aero had erected in front of her. Personally, Aero was amazed he'd had the strength to complete his defence. He still couldn't move his right arm, but above his left hand were the four rings. He'd gotten his powerup.

"Aero," she shouted. "Now!"

Aero gulped out of fear, but then sheathed both his blades using his Grip and readied himself. He held out his left hand in front of him and started to form a condensed ball of energy around the shards. The orb shined with a rainbow of color that got brighter every moment until it looked like a blinding white star. He was staring down Rize, who now had the shining light of Aero's Grip around him. Aero had never seen a more rage filled look in his life.

"AERO!"

Aero pulled Rize toward him with all his might. Though he was resisting, Aero had him on a crash course with his ultimate attack. Once he hit, his body would vanish in an instant, but so would anything else. Small pieces of rubble from around the room began shooting forward, only to disappear into the light. Everything started to shake as more and more objects met their end in the increasing bright form. Aero even felt himself getting pulled in.

Rize was pushing against the pull as much as he could, but now he was actually trying. Violet energy was streaming out in front of him in his attempt to escape. Their forces were nearly equal, but Aero knew he couldn't keep this up for long, especially because it wasn't just the two of them. The woman had jabbed her sword into the floor and was holding on for dear life. If Aero pulled much harder, not only would he tear his body apart, but she would get pulled in as well.

Then, in an act of true desperation, Rize changed course. Instead of trying to get away, he flew himself straight toward Aero's star, holding his sword like a spear. Aero felt his fear return when he realized what Rize was planning. Aero couldn't move from his position. If he did, the energy would be released immediately as a shock wave, but Rize must have been counting on it, even though it could destroy everything here, including himself if he was unable to block. Moving fast enough, there was a chance he could go around the attack, if only for the smallest microsecond, but that's all he would need to finish Aero off.

Rize came at him full force with a palpable killing intent. His eyes, once soothing like lavender, were as black as the eyes of the Fractals. Aero knew then that Risse was gone, completely consumed by Omega. He was forced to admit the truth.

His brother was dead.

Then, just as he was about to be finished off, the same red sword as appeared in front of Aero, this time severing the chain of Rize's necklace. The sword, along with it's wielder, glowing with a cloak of red Aura the began mixing with Aero's silver. At the same time, Omega, still glowing with power, fell into the light; however, instead of disappearing, it cracked upon contact before fully breaking into several pieces. These fragments fell back into the light again, this time causing Aero's attack to lose all stability and explode, filling up the room with it's light.

The feeling wasn't natural. Instead of impact, Aero felt engulfed, like being under the sea. He felt weightless and heavy all at once, but at the same time he couldn't feel his body. The light was intense, like looking into the sun, but he couldn't see anything. All he could feel was his aura.

"Am I dead," he whispered.

"No."

Aero knew that voice. It was hers. He could feel her Aura in front of him so Ihe reached out to it, but, instead of feeling a body, his hand found a soft piece of fabric, just as he felt a pull engulf him. It wasn't in any real direction. It just was.

Aero didn't know how long he felt like that, but he gripped the cloth as hard as he could. Suddenly, he felt thrown back. He felt the wind blow across his face as he glided through the air, only to hit something. As opposed to the hard stone he was used to, what he hit felt soft. Or, at least it would have, if he hadn't have been moving so quickly. So, instead of a pillow, it still felt like a brick wall.

Aero came to a stop not much further, this time laying on the grassy ground facing upward. His swords, both sheathed on his back, were making it pretty uncomfortable, but he didn't care at the moment. The world was still a blur, but he was starting to get a sense of where he was. The air was fresh with several rose petals flowing in the win, so he must have been outside. This wasn't surprising, considering he'd probably just destroyed the entire castle in the blast. When he opened my eyes, Aero saw a star filled sky above him with the broken crescent moon sitting behind a cloud. It was nighttime, which was strange. He had been fighting in the middle of the day. Maybe he'd just been knocked out for a while.

 _No_ , he thought, _that can't be right. My attack had just gone off. I was still conscious. How could it be night time?_

"Are you okay?"

He was taken aback by the worried sounding voice. It was almost the same as the one he had just heard, but it was...different. It sounded younger than before.

But it was still hers.

Then, Aero saw a girl bending over him. He started slowly losing consciousness, but he could still make out her fearful face as everything got dark.

 _Impossible,_ he thought. _She looks… but she looks my age. Maybe younger. How…?_

Aero felt something in his hand, which had landed across his chest. With what little energy he had left, he raised his head to see what it was. What he was holding was the long, white garment of the woman who saved him. Her hood.

Aero turned back to the girl. She herself wore a cloak, though hers was a brilliant red. Just like a rose. The last thing he was able to make out were her eyes. He had seen those same eyes just a moment ago. Those same silver eyes.

"Summer…" he whispered.

Then the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

The young hooded girl walked through the green woods, all alone. It was nighttime, but the world was illuminated by the light of the broken moon and it's blanket of stars. The path before the girl was made clear in that light while the deeper recesses of the woods remained covered in shadow. When she looked closely, she could make out several sets of glowing red eyes.

Most people, at this point, would have run. Then again, most people wouldn't have entered the forest at all. The Emerald Forest was a Huntsman training ground. No matter where one went, they were sure to find no shortage of the monsters that plagued the world of Remnant: the Grimm.

These creatures, however, were exactly what Ruby was looking for. She drew back her hood, letting her hair flow down. For most of her first year, she had kept her black hair fairly short, with one side being slightly longer than the other, but now she let the back grow out a little more past her shoulders, though it still wasn't nearly as long as her blonde sister's band of locks. Her outfit had also been changed toward the end of her freshman term. Instead of the usual black body suit, she had recently decided to wear another of her outfits, codenamed "Slayer," as her new getup.

Of course, when a pack of Beowolves suddenly launch themselves at you, who has the time to think about skirts?

In response to the incoming Grimm, the young huntress-in-training reached for the scarlet machine clipped to her back and aimed it at the nearest creatures. She unloaded three shots from the barrel of her weapon, all of which met their intended targets. One tried targeting her from her side, only to be blasted in the face with a Dust cartridge. The recoil of the shot launched the girl backwards. With the newfound distance between herself and the beasts, she flourished her full weapon. What was once small enough to be worn on a belt was now unfolded into a rare and deadly scythe-rifle. Two more Beo's leaped towards her, only to be delimbed in a swift spinning motion with the blade coming to a stop across the back of her shoulders. The last of the pack was then in a perfect line with Crescent Rose's barrel. Needless to say, the fight didn't last for much longer.

"Alright," Ruby said with a fist pump and to no one in particular. "That's another seven down. I shouldn't have too much longer to go." She took out her Scroll, opened up her log tab and added the new data into it. While she wasn't a full fledged Huntress, and therefore unable to take on missions for pay, Beacon did allow students to go on special assignments for extra credit, and, while she was truly a prodigy when it came to combat, Ruby still lacked some knowledge on account of being moved ahead two years. So, in exchange for some failed assignments in Grimm Studies, Ruby was given the option to clear out a portion of the Emerald Forest instead, an offer she happily took.

Ruby continued down the path that lead deeper and deeper into the woods. She looked at her Scroll, which read 12:15 A.M. It had been about two hours since she began her Hunt and it seemed to her that her section of the forest was now, after 42 documented kills, relatively clear. She was considering turning back soon when something caught her eye. The path in front of her had opened up into a large clearing with a broken temple at the rear of the field. She felt a wave of nostalgia was over her and walked toward the ruin.

As she approached the spot, she started to make out several small pillars standing in a circle, the same pillars that once held an assortment of black and white chess pieces just a few months prior. Ruby placed her hand on one of them and remembered back to her first real test at Beacon. She remembered the anxiety of the partner selection process, along with the dejection of being paired with one Ms. Schnee, with whom she was now the best of… acquaintances.

She looked at the sky and thought back to how she had once crazily jumped off a giant Nevermore, only to be slammed into a tree by Jaune, who had been launched across the forest by an angry Deathstalker. The ensuing chaos only made greater by the arrival of Pyrrha, who was being chased after by said Deathstalker, Weiss, who had jumped from said Nevermore, Nora, who was riding an Ursa, and Ren, who was chasing said Nora.

Looking back on it, despite the crazy wanton destruction that followed, Ruby could only smile. Her first year at Beacon was just about over and things had certainly changed. After battling Torchwick and the White Fang, Ruby had changed from a weapon obsessed, battle crazy introvert into a slightly older and more mature weapon obsessed, battle crazy introvert. At the end of the day, she was still a simple soul.

Ruby was taken out of her flashback by the sound of growling behind her. She quickly readied Crescent Rose, but relaxed a bit upon seeing her opponent. She had spent most the night attacking groups of Grimm, but what stood before her now was a lone Beowolf. Knowing it wouldn't be much of a threat, Ruby decided to quickly put an end to the night and head back to catch some sleep. Readying her weapon, she activated her Semblance, her Speed, and slashed at her lone attacker, leaving behind one dead Grimm and a trail of dancing rose petals.

In that moment though, something strange happened. Just as Ruby finished her attack attack, a blinding white light suddenly appeared. She tried to stop, but she lost her footing in the daze while momentum carried her forward, causing her to trip and fly toward the light. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the flash was gone; however, Ruby was too preoccupied with the suddenness of the situation and temporary blindness to realize a mass had been thrown out of the light, or to notice that she and the object were going to crash into each other.

After years of training with Crescent Rose, Ruby had gotten pretty used to dealing with feelings of recoil and sudden changes in direction. This did not, however, mean getting hit by a UFO felt any less painful, especially when it was moving faster than she was. Both Ruby and the object that hit her were launched back by the impact, knocking the breath out of her. She landed a few meters away and rested for a moment while she tried to recover from the shock.

Once her eyesight and breathing were back to normal, Ruby did a quick inspection of herself. Other than a few bumps and bruises, she didn't seem to be hurt. This comforted her for a moment, until she heard a painful groan, presumably coming from whatever had hit her. She looked around for the sound's source. She found it a second later and ran over to see the sight that she couldn't believe.

Laying in the grass before her was a boy, once that had seemingly came from nowhere. He wore some kind of silver and black robes with several cuts throughout the fabric. On his back were two sheathed blades that looked like someone had taken the middle of the metal out. He wore a weird looking necklace and, just for a moment, Ruby could have sworn she saw it glowing. His hair was a light blonde while his barely opened eyes were a shade of steel blue. She couldn't make out much of his face though. It was too covered in dirt and blood.

"Are you okay," Ruby asked as she knelt down over him. The boy strained and opened his eyes a bit more. His expression was pained, but also very confused. He raised his head a bit and looked down at his hand. Ruby had seen what was in it before, but she thought it was only some kind of cape. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it wasn't a cape. Not exactly. Instead, it was a hood. A white hood.

A very familiar white hood.

Ruby didn't know what to think as she look at the piece of fabric. Her mind was replaying images she barely recognized. A picnic. A birthday party. A bedtime story. She was seeing events she hadn't been able to recall in years. She didn't think it was possible, but what happened next changed that thought.

Ruby turned back to face the boy again. It was obvious he was losing consciousness. The blood from his wounds was quickly draining out and he looked like he was an inch from death, but then, just as he went under, he looked into her eyes said a name Ruby had not heard aloud in years.

"Summer…"

To Ruby, it felt like the world had stopped. Not 5 minutes ago, she was hunting monsters in the forest. Now, she was standing over a complete stranger, one who appeared out of thin air with a white hood, one that looked like…

Ruby was torn from her trance when she felt something wet and warm touch her hand. She looked down and saw her fingertips were dotted in red spots. The blood from his wounds, especially the one on his arm, was escaping far too fast. If something wasn't done soon, the boy would die. Panicking, Ruby pulled out her scroll and used the emergency number for her headmaster, Professor Ozpin, while praying he wasn't asleep. Thankfully, it only took a second for the famous Huntsman to respond.

"Professor," said Ruby, thankful for the immediate answer, "I need help right away!"

"I know," said Ozpin, "I've already ordered a med transport to pick you up."

"How…?

"Ms. Rose, you should already know we have surveillance cameras stationed all over that forest, but you should also know you have more pressing matters to attend too." Ruby knew what he meant. It would take a few minutes for the transport to arrive and the mystery boy was losing blood fast. Thinking quickly, she took the white hood and tightly wrapped it around the boys arm. His body shook in pain, but at least the blood flow was slowed. Hopefully she had bought enough time.

"Professor," she said, "how much longer 'til they arrive?"

"It will be just a moment, Ruby. They've almost reached you."

A minute had passed before Ruby found herself in another light, only this time it belonged to the descending Bullhead above them. Three nurses jumped out the vehicle with a stretcher right as it landed and ran to the two teens. Once he was one the stretcher, the group boarded the ship with the doors closing behind them.

"Ms. Rose," said one of the nurses, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, "but what about him?" The nurses were already at work on the boy. They had removed the upper portion of his robes. From what could be seen, his arms and torso received the most damage. Two nurses had removed the now bloodied cloak and were making every effort to cleanse the wound. Another was bandaging the more minor cuts across his body, but, on the whole, the boy was incredibly wounded.

"We're doing what we can," said the nurse. He went back to help with the boy, leaving Ruby to sit in the front of the vehicle with the pilot. Neither said a word to each other as they were too busy listening the hurried voices of the men and women trying to heal their patient. Ruby had personally never seen anything like it before. He was obviously attacked, but it wasn't by a Grimm. Other than the clawed gash on his upper arm, his injuries were done by fine blades. Grimm claws were sharp, but they attacked like animals. His injuries were too… precise. As she was thinking, she received a call from Ozpin.

"Ruby," he said, "I need to see you in my office as soon as you get back to the academy."

"But…" said Ruby, as she looked back at the suffering boy in the back.

"Ruby," said Ozpin, "I understand you don't feel right leaving someone in his state, but you are leaving him with trained medical professionals. They're doing their jobs. Your job is to report to me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good," he said, "and don't worry. I'm sure he'll be fine."

The Bullhead landed soon after their call was finished and the team of nurses immediately rushed the boy to the medical wing. Had this taken place in the day, the faces of students would have been plastered against the windows of the school to catch a glimpse of the action. Fortunately, most of the students were sound asleep, leaving the medical team with no obstacles. Ruby, though tempted to follow them, instead headed to the elevator leading to the Headmaster's Office. The ride to his office took several minutes longer than expected, mostly because _someone_ accidently pushed every button on the way up. Ruby would insist it wasn't her.

Finally, the door opened up to the highest floor. The office itself was very impressive. Gears and cogs interlocked and swirled on the ceiling while the window gave a breathtaking view that let one see all across Vale. In front of that window was a long desk with a white haired, cane holding man sitting in a chair behind it. Next to him stood a woman who, having obviously been asleep, was wearing a purple robe over her night gown.

"Let me guess," said Ozpin with a smirk, as Ruby walked forward, " _someone_ accidently pushed every button on the way up."

"Something like that," said Ruby, as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, "but it wasn't me."

"Of course not," he said. He looked at Professor Goodwitch and nodded.

"This, however," said Goodwitch as she turned her scroll around, "certainly is." The scroll was playing back a recording of the Emerald Forest. It showed the flash of light and the resulting crash between the two, as well as Ruby kneeling over him, wrapping his arm, and the arrival of the med team.

"Needless to say," said Ozpin, "these are the events that just transpired. The question is: what exactly is it we're looking at?"

"I don't know, sir," said Ruby. "To be honest, I'm just as confused as you are."

"Ms. Rose," said Goodwitch, "did you notice anything strange before this boy's sudden… appearance?"

"No. I had just killed that Beowolf… number 43 I might add," she said hoping to get some positive response, only to be met with Professor Goodwitch's glare, "and suddenly that light appeared. I couldn't see anything for a moment and suddenly got hit by something. It took me a second to refocus and see what it was."

"Hmm," hummed Goodwitch. "What about the boy himself? Did he say anything to you?"

Ruby's body clenched at that question. In all the excitement, she had forgotten that the boy had said something to her. Still, Ruby felt unnerved by the whole situation and looked at her feet as she tried to form her thoughts.

"Ruby," said Ozpin, "is something wrong?"

"I… I don't know, Professor. Something is definitely strange though."

"Indeed," he said. "Here we are with a boy who suddenly appeared from a blinding flash of light in the middle of a forest with no prior warning, suffering from several gaping cuts and extreme muscle fatigue."

"Will he be alright?"

Ozpin smiled.

"Yes Ruby," he said, "he'll be fine. His upper right arm suffered the worst damage. It will take time, but he'll make a full recovery."

"Thank goodness," said Ruby. "I was really worried for him."

"The patient," said Goodwitch, "is currently unconscious in the medical wing. It was a good thing you found him when you did. A few more minutes, and he may not have made it. Good work, Ms. Rose."

"Thank you," said Ruby. "Can I go back to my dorm now? It's been a long night."

"Of course," said Ozpin. "We'll inform you if there is any change in his condition." Ruby thanked them and headed toward the elevator, but, just as the door opened, she heard Ozpin speak again.

"Ruby," he said "you never did tell us if he said anything to you."

Ruby gulped. She knew he knew. He may not have known exactly what, but he knew he had spoken something to her.

"Of course," he continued, "if you don't want to tell us now, we can always meet later."

"Maybe later then. Goodnight, professors." Ruby walked into the elevator and put her back to the wall as she began her descent. By the time she had made it back to her dorm, it was almost 1 o'clock and she was about to drop asleep where she stood. She entered her room to see Weiss and Blake asleep in their own beds with Yang sleeping in a chair facing the door. The blonde brawler opened her eyes as her half-sister opened the door and changed into her sleepwear.

"Hey Ruby," said Yang in a half-sleep state. "I volunteered to stay up aaaallllll night to wait for you." She raised her hands as she exaggerated her time spent waiting for Ruby's return. It was clear she was ready for sleep as well. She climbed into her bed, placing her head at the bottom and resting her feet on her pillows.

"Nighty night, sis," said Yang.

"Night Yang," said Ruby, though her sister was snoring loudly before Ruby could finish her two word sentence. With that, she pulled up her blankets over her and laid down on her pillow. Though her head was resting, her mind was still replaying the images of the night. There was something strange about that boy, and it wasn't just because of the lightshow and the weird clothes. Ruby couldn't quite put her finger on it, mostly because she too was losing consciousness, but she knew she had questions for him. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he have that hood? Why did he say…

Ruby, finally at her limit, fell asleep with an image in her head. The image of a white cloaked woman, floating like a ghost. Her face couldn't be seen, but Ruby had seen this woman many times. She saw it every time she thought back to her mother.

To Summer Rose.

Ruby took one last look at the broken crescent moon shining through her window.

"Tomorrow," she said. "I'll find out tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

"So," said Yang, "he exploded?"

"Well," said Ruby, "I guess it was something like that."

The two sisters, along with Weiss and Blake, were all laying in their respective hastily built bunks talking about Ruby's late night adventure. It was around 9 on a Saturday morning with a cool, crisp breeze blowing through the open window. The girls were enjoying their laziness, a gift not normally given to Huntresses, and none of them had bothered to change out of their PJ's yet.

"I gotta say," said Weiss, "this whole thing has "weird" plastered all over it."

"Said the albino, magical girl fencer who once nearly got cut in two by a chainsaw sword on an underground train rigged with explosives," commented Yang, only to be met with a pillow to the face.

"Still," started Blake, who, per the usual, had remained quiet through the story, "how do you think he got there?"

"It had to be something with that light," answered Ruby. "He came flying out of it."

"Maybe it was his Semblance," chimed in Yang.

"I've never heard of someone being able to teleport before."

"Well I've never heard of an albino being able to make magical snowflakes before, but here we are."

"I'm not an albino!" Weiss threw another pillow at Yang, but this particular pillow was different. Instead of having a soft, feathery feeling, Yang felt the impact of four furry paws collide with her face, knocking her back. She groaned for a minute before feeling a slobbering tongue lick her cheek.

"Oh no," said Weiss as she raised over to pick up Zwei and hold him like a baby. "I am so sowwy my wittle puppy. I didn't mean to thwow you at the bad lady."

"You do know he's _my_ dog right?"

"Shut your face."

"Anyway" interrupted Ruby, "can we get back to the topic at hand?"

"If he has some kind of teleporting Semblance," said Blake, "it could mean he was trying to get away from something. Probably whatever caused his injuries."

Ruby nodded and thought back to the mess she had found him in. Whatever happened to him, she was sure it had to have been terrible to leave him in that state. She remembered the pain and confusion on his face, as well as the one word he had spoken. Ruby had, for the moment, decided not to tell about that or the hood, at least until she could be alone with Yang.

"Maybe," said Ruby. "We'll just have to wait until he wakes up to ask him."

"Actually," said Weiss, who was wearing a wicked smile on her face, "there is one more question I have for you."

"What is it?"

"Well, you did say this was a boy, right?"

"Umm," said Ruby, confused by the question, "yeah?"

"And you said he looked around our age, right?"

"Where are you going with this, Weiss" she asked with a genuine naive confusion as Weiss popped her head up to Ruby's bunk.

"Was he cute?"

"Weiss, his face was covered in blood and dirt, it was the middle of the night, and I was half blinded and in a panic. How am I supposed to know?"

"Oh, come on Ruby," said Weiss, "you didn't at least try to get a better look at him?" This time it was Weiss who received a pillow to the face.

"Come on, girls," said Yang, who jumped out of bed. "If Weiss is so interested in cheating on Neptune, then let's go see this mystery man."

"Hey!"

"I'd like to see him too," said Blake.

"Alright then, Team RWBY. Let's go!" Ruby ran to her dresser and, in a flash of red, she had completely changed from her pajamas into her Huntress attire. She stood proudly for a moment, before the room was filled with a low rumbling sound. She laughed awkwardly as she put one hand behind her head and one on her aching stomach.

"Breakfast," asked Blake.

The other three nodded and spoke in unison.

"Breakfast."

After filling up on plate after plate of pancakes (without syrup thanks to a certain hammer-wielding ball of destruction) in the cafeteria, Team RWBY made their way to the medical wing of the school. Being a combat academy, every student knew exactly where to find it, especially considering most had spent a night or two there. It was hardly ever empty, but there were a few more students passing through the halls close to it than normal.

"What's with everyone today?"

"Well," said Yang, "if I had to guess, I'd say word that a mysterious stranger was brought in last night has spread pretty quickly. Chances are, they probably tried to sneak a peak."

"They didn't get what they were looking for then," said Blake. "It's not like the doctors are just going to let random students into an emergency unit."

"In that case," said Weiss, "what are we doing here?" They all stopped for a minute as they thought about this. They hadn't thought that maybe waltzing into an unknown patient's room unannounced wasn't going to work.

"Well," said Ruby, "I was the one who, uhh, _found_ him last night. Maybe they'll let us in because of that."

They decided to take their chances and continue on to the nurses desk. As expected, they were kept from entering at first, until one of the nurses from last night recognized Ruby. They were hesitant, but they decided to let the quartet in. After all, Ozpin did say he'd tell Ruby if anything happened. Speaking of the headmaster, he was standing over the boy, cane and coffee mug in hand, when the girls entered the room.

"It's not a pretty sight," he said, "is it?"

The boy was laid out on the bed before them in a medical robe. He had an IV in his arm, pumping in the necessary blood he had lost last night. His whole body was covered in bandages and stitches while his right shoulder looked like it had been mummified.

"How is he," asked Ruby.

"He's doing fine," Ozpin said with a smile. "He's going to need plenty of time to recover, but his vitals are steady, although he hasn't regained consciousness yet."

"So, Weiss," said Yang, "does he look very cute to you?"

"Eh," said Weiss. "Average."

"Mmhm," coughed Blake, slightly annoyed with her teammates.

"Do the doctors know when he's going to wake up?" Ruby took a few steps and stood over the boy on the other side of the bed. "I have some questions for him."

"I think questions are something we all have right now," he said. "For instance, I'm sure we're both very interested in why this boy was carrying a certain white fabric with him."

Ruby gulped in fear and nodded to the professor. She was still shaken about that whole matter. She kept telling herself it wasn't possible, that it couldn't actually be her mother's cloak. Still…

"What is he talking about, sis?"

Ruby couldn't meet her sister's eyes. She felt ashamed for not telling her friends, especially Yang, about the hood the boy was carrying, but she wasn't sure she was able to handle talking about the possibility of finding something out about her mother. The possibility of the boy turning out to be another cold lead was just too much.

"Ruby?"

"It's nothing, Yang." Her sister didn't seem convinced, but she decided to let it slide. For now.

"As for how long he'll be under," said Ozpin, "we don't know. His injuries, and the trauma he's gone through because of them, were severe. The doctors expect him to wake up within a day, but nothing is certain at this point."

He leaned over to put his coffee on a table next to the bed. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out something. In his hand was the necklace he had been wearing last night. The silver crystal shined in the light of the sun through the window.

"What is that, professor," asked Blake.

"This, Ms. Belladonna," he answered, "is one of the only clues we have as to who our new friend is. This necklace, along with two swords, a set of robes, and a cloak were the only possessions this young man had when he was brought to the academy. His clothes, tattered as they are, are being cleaned and sterilized as we speak while his swords are safe in my office."

"So," said Weiss, "no one knows who he is?"

"We've searched through the school records and found no trace of him. As far as the public records go, there are no matching dental or DNA records to speak of."

"What about the necklace," asked Ruby. "Does anyone know what that weird symbol is?"

"Maybe it's his family's crest," added Weiss.

"That's what we were thinking as well, Ms. Schnee, but we can't find a trace of it in any genealogy database. Until this young man awakens, I don't believe we'll be getting any more information on his identity."

Ruby turned her gaze to the boy and wondered who he was. Thanks to the unforgiving wilderness of Remnant, not many people lived outside the safety of the major cities and those that did live in the smaller villages kept in contact with the main kingdoms as much as possible. The odds of him being some sort of renegade were slim, but possible.

"However," Ozpin continued, "this necklace holds more than one mystery."

"What do you mean, professor," asked Blake.

"For starters," said Ozpin, "the metal in the chain, along with the swords and some plates found in his robes, is some of the rarest found on this planet. It's called Adamantine."

"Adamantine?" Yang took the necklace from Ozpin so she could examine it closer. "I've never heard o-"

"Adamantine!"

The group turned to Ruby, who had squeed at the mention of the material. She was staring at the necklace like a kid looking through a toyshop window on Christmas. The hooded girl took a deep breath and started spastically speaking before anyone could say anything else.

"That is some of the strongest metal ever! Practically indestructible, super lightweight, and nearly impossible to find. All known traces of kept in the highest security vaults in the world and even they don't have much. Finding even the smallest nugget of the stuff is like finding a gold _and_ diamond mine on the same day you win every lottery in Vale! On your birthday! You said his swords are made of this stuff?! They have to be some of the deadliest weapons ever-"

"Easy, little sister," said Yang as she shook Ruby by the shoulders. The scythe wielder looked around at the stares of everyone in the room and felt a blush creep across her cheeks.

"Hehe," she laughed awkwardly, "sorry. It's just that stuff is so cooooool. I've always wanted to get my hands on some of it but like I said it's so hard to find so…" The girl was cut off by the hand of her older half-sister covering her mouth.

"Let's not start that again," said Yang. "You were starting to sound like Nora." Ruby started to poke her fingers together in embarrassment while Ozpin let out a small chuckle.

"While I can't say I have the same enthusiasm," said the professor, "I can affirm Ms. Rose's information. Adamantine is indeed a legendary metal. It even has the unique ability to absorb and store aura on contact. Some stories say only the greatest kings were allowed to use it in their weapons and armor, like it was tied with their right to rule." Ozpin stood up and started to walk towards the door.

"In any case," he continued, "I hope you all have a nice day." He gave one last look at the boy with a serious expression and flashed a quick smile at the girls before closing the door. Team RWBY sat in silence for a moment before Weiss, rubbing her chin while looking at the blonde patient, spoke up.

"You know," said the Schnee, "he may look cuter once those bandages come off." Her team looked at her and shook their heads.

"What? I thought I was supposed to lighten up."

"There's a time and a place Weiss," said Yang. "A time and a place."

"Uh, Yang," said Ruby.

"What?"

Ruby pointed at the brawlers hand. In it was the same necklace the group had been discussing just moments before. Ruby took the necklace from her sister and ran to the door.

"Professor," she yelled into the hallway, only to be hushed by a passing nurse. She looked around the ward, but couldn't see the professor anywhere.

Maybe he had forgotten it on accident, she thought. That had to be it. He wouldn't just leave something so valuable without a second thought. Ruby gestured to her team through the open door.

"Come on," said the leader, "we should go give this back." The girls nodded in unison and began the trek to the elevators. Ruby took one last glance backwards to the unconscious boy. She was somewhat disappointed he hadn't awoken yet, and therefore couldn't answer her questions, but she was also growing more intrigued in him. There was a mystery going on and Ruby knew these things usually lead to some adventure for her and her team. A completely unknown stranger with some unbelievably rare items? That was definitely something Ruby could get behind. Besides, she did have to agree with Weiss. He was a little cute.

The girls had already walked a considerable distance before, turning her gaze to the necklace, Ruby felt a small, strange urge pass through her, one she decided to indulge. With a mischievous little grin Yang would be proud of, she tied the necklace around her neck and felt how truly light the chain was. The only weight she could feel was in the silver crystal embedded in the center.

As the girls walked further away, they were completely unaware of the suddenly increasing heartbeat monitor echoing through the medical ward. The second Ruby dawned the necklace, Beacon's newest visitor began convulsing in his sleep, as though he were suffering a nightmare.

In that moment, a pair of reflective blue eyes suddenly shot open.


	4. Chapter 4

Aero wasn't having fun. None at all. Not even the slightest bit. One might even say he was having antifun. Non-fun, perhaps. He was having a substandard, poor, inferior, second-rate, unsatisfactory, inadequate, unacceptable, shoddy, miserable, atrocious, appalling, abysmal, rotten, inauspicious time.

In a word: bad.

He had awoken from a nightmare of being surrounded by a group of Fractals to find himself in a room filled with… things. Metal things that were… on fire?... and flashing lights in his face. Annoying sounds also seemed to be coming from them. One of these things looked like it was filled with blood and was connected to some clear rope that was going into his arm, causing some discomfort. The feeling wasn't exclusive to that, however, as his whole body was wrapped in bandages and aching like he'd just been hit by a chariot.

Aero was trying to make sense of everything through the uneasiness sweeping across him when his focus suddenly snapped back into place. With a panic filled expression, he raised his left arm, as his right was tightly wrapped, to his neck. Instead of finding one of the most powerful artifacts in the world being held there, all Aero found was a distinctly necklace-free patch of skin.

 _Yeah_ , he thought. _This is bad_.

Aero felt a small amount of panic creep through him. If Beta was found by the wrong people, the effects could be devastating. There's no telling what a villain could do with that kind of power.

 _Focus, Aero. Don't lose to the situation._

The swordsman slowed his breathing and rationalized the situation. Though Beta was powerful, it was extremely difficult to use. Besides, without mixing Beta's energy with aura, there was no way to tell it apart from a regular Dust crys…

 _Wait. That's it!_

Aero closed his eyes and focused on bringing his aura outward, causing him to glow slightly. Usually, the energy field of his Grip was condensed into a small area around an object. If he could spread out the field as thin as he could, making it almost unnoticeable, Beta's energy should give its location. That is, if it was close enough.

Raising his hand slightly, Aero directed his aura field out the door of his room and down the hallway, noting several people were in the area. He moved his field further ahead and felt a level of fatigue growing in him. Aura depletion wasn't usually a concern for Aero, given his naturally high reserves, even without his Shard, but he suspected his injuries were affecting his ability to draw from them.

Aero was almost at his limit before he finally felt Beta's presence on the very edge of his field. To him, it was like seeing the sun rising on the horizon. Beta was still near. He could get to it. But… something was wrong. Beta was moving away from Aero's range and, before he knew it, he couldn't sense the Shard's energy anymore.

 _No! I can't let it get away!_

Acting on adrenaline fueled instinct, Aero jumped from the bed and dashed to the door. He almost made it, until whatever was in his arm pulled on him. Thinking he shouldn't give himself an open wound, Aero took a knife from the table next to him and cut the cord, causing fluid to spill everywhere and high pitched sounds to echo loudly in the room. Footsteps quickly sounded in the hallway and two men in white outfits appeared in the doorway.

They moved toward Aero, likely to try and restrain him, but Aero raised his knife in front of him, causing the two to back off slightly. Aero didn't actually plan on hurting them, but experience had taught him a little fear went a long way. This wasn't his first time waking up with bandages in a strange place. Not even close.

Remembering Beta, Aero dashed forward between the two men and out the door. People in the hallway, most of which were wearing the same white outfits, appeared from the doorways. Aero ran past some of them in the direction Beta had been, only to realize his injuries were slowing him down. He looked around for some other way to move and saw what looked like a white mat on wheels.

 _This is crazy._

The people started running towards him.

 _But I've done worse._

Aero pulled himself onto the contraption and laid on his stomach. Using what aura he could muster, he let out small bursts of energy from his feet, propelling him forward. He was making some distance between him and his pursuers, causing him to smile to himself a bit.

A smile that quickly went away upon noticing he was headed toward a wall.

Aero let out a small scream before using his left arm to fire a shot and redirect him. He made a hard right, even sliding on the wall a bit, before gaining some control and going forward. Several people, mostly teenagers around Aero's age, were moving out of the way as he zoomed past them. He was still using his semblance to search for Beta, but was having a hard time doing so while narrowly making his way between people and around corners. Not to mention his body was starting to ache all over, like the numb feeling before the pain actually comes.

Finally, Aero felt Beta's energy moving. He turned in it's direction, all while the pain in his body grew. He was having a hard time getting an exact location, so he took a risk and let out one strong pulse from his body, the light from the field this time being noticeable. The wave immediately let Aero know where Beta was and where it was happened to be right around the corner he was headed.

He tried to slow down his strange horseless carriage, but one of the wheels gave out, causing the whole vehicle to skid and fall on it's side, the momentum throwing Aero forward. He maintained about half a second of airtime before colliding directly with whatever was carrying Beta, knocking both him and the object to the ground and causing pain to flare up all over his body.

Aero laid on his back, barely conscious and with blood dripping from his reopened wounds. Something passed between him and the light on his face, prompting him to open his eyes. In front of him was Beta, dangling from the neck of a very familiar dark haired, silver eyed girl, giving him the strangest sense of deja vu.

He tried to speak, but he felt the sharp pain of a needle entering his arm.

Then the world went black…

… again.

-x-

Aero awoke once again from his Fractal filled nightmare, causing him to nearly jump from his bed. He tried to move in his panic state, but his arms and legs, except for his already immobile right arm, had been tied down by some kind of rope. The world seemed to blur as his steel blue eyes darted around the room, unable to focus on anything. Several more distinct blurs, each with different colors, began to slowly come into focus until he realized the blobs were actually people. Aero was far from calm, but he was able to form some rushed, raspy sounding sentences.

 **"Who are you,"** he yelled. **"Where am I?! What have you done to me?!"**

Though he still couldn't make out there faces very well, he could tell some of them had confused looks on them.

 **"Answer me!"**

"Young man," said one of them, an older man with white hair, "please calm down. We can't understand you."

"Yeah," said a girl with vibrant yellow hair. "Chill, dude. We're friends here."

Aero snapped out of his small frenzy and looked at the group, which was composed of the the two that had spoken and four more girls: one with a bow on her head, one with more white on than a blizzard, a grown one with what looked like a riding crop at her side and… her. The same hooded girl he had now been thrown into twice.

"Young man," the white haired one said again, causing Aero to turn to him. "Can you understand us?"

Aero was filled with shock at the question and stared at the man. The answer was yes, but it didn't seem possible that anyone would know this language. The only reason he, _no_ , _anyone_ , knew it was because Summer had taught them, and even then no one but Dunden and he could speak it well, but these people seemed fluent.

"Yes," he said slowly, **"but can you understand me?"** The group shared confused glances with each other while the yellow one just looked at the girl he had crashed into and shrugged. "I'll take that as a no."

"What did you say before," asked the white one.

"I asked if you understood me," said Aero, "and I got my answer." He looked at the straps on his limbs and wiggled slightly. "If it's not too much trouble, could someone please take these restraints off of me?"

"Not until we know you are not a threat to anyone here," said the grown woman. She was shooting daggers that reminded him of how Jen would look at Zek whenever he did something stupid. He had to admit, it was even scarier being on the receiving end.

"Glynda," said the man, "we should have more kindness for our patients here."

"Yeah," said the yellow girl. "We should be more… _hospitable_." She had a wide, open smile on her face, while the rest of them shook their heads, pinched the brims of their noses and groaned. Aero, on the other hand, actually laughed a little bit. Her sense of humor reminded of him of Summer's terrible puns.

While they were recovering from the horrible joke, the white haired man removed the restraints from Aero's left arm and leg. Aero weakly tried to reach for the one on his right leg, but he couldn't lift his body up enough. He fell back down into the bedding, his breathing pitifully sped up from such little excursion, when he felt the restraint loosening. He looked down, as his bed was up at an angle, and saw that the girl with the red-tipped hair undoing the strap.

"Thank you," he said with a weak smile.

"You're very welcome," she said while returning his gesture. "I'm sure it's hard to move, what with those bandages and the sleepy medicine they gave you. Just be glad it wasn't bubblegum flavor, though. That stuff's the worst." She laughed innocently at her joke and Aero let out a light chuckle as well, even though he had no idea what "bubblegum" was.

"Professor," said Glynda, "are you sure about this? This is the same boy who just took a joyride through our school on a gurney."

"Which sounds awesome by the way," said the blonde girl, causing the woman Glynda to roll her eyes. "Are you sure we should trust him?"

"It's not like he's going anywhere," said the man. Aero was forced to admit he was right. His body wasn't exactly in the best condition. It was only on pure adrenaline he had been able to move as much as he had. Now that he was calmer, he doubted he'd be going anywhere on his own, especially considering his whole body felt somewhat numb. If he had Beta, he could probably just lift his bo…

 _Beta!_

Aero's panic returned as he remembered that his Shard was still missing. Normally, Aero wouldn't let himself, as Summer would say, "freak out" so much, but the whole situation was getting the better of him, something the warrior in him hated.

"Are you okay," asked the girl with the bow.

"My necklace," said Aero.

"Oh," piped up the hooded girl. She pulled a chain with a glimmering silver crystal on the end of it out of her pocket. "Here. Let me just…" she said as she bent over and tied the metal around Aero's neck, giving him a sweet sense of relief at having Beta back. She fell forward slightly, nearly bumping Aero's head, and leaving their faces very close to each other. Both had slight blushes on their cheeks as the girl quickly stood up. "I may have… tried it on for a bit. Sorry."

Aero raised his hand up and felt the cool crystal with his fingertips.

"Do you," he said hesitantly, "know what this is?"

"Uh," she said, "a very pretty rock?" Aero felt even more relief as she gave her answer. If they didn't know what Beta was, their was no way they could know how to use it. That knowledge made him feel slightly safer.

"Mmhm," coughed the silver haired man. "Can you tell us your name, and perhaps why you thought it best to attempt escaping from a hospital room with several major lacerations still freshly made."

And just like that, Aero felt the stress return. If he told them who he really was, this whole situation could get even more difficult than it already was. It may also give them a clue as to what Beta was, putting him and world in potentially grave danger.

"If it's all the same to you, sir," Aero said, "I'd like to know your names first, though I can say I left, well, because I was afraid of loosing this." He put his hand up to his necklace. "It's very important to me. A family heirloom."

"Very well," he said. "I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy."

"It's nice to meet you, Headmaster," said Aero, who was trying to hold back his look of shock upon hearing the names Ozpin and Beacon. He remembered stories about them. Ozpin was a legendary Huntsman and Beacon was the school Summer had attended, but it was impossible these could be the same things Summer told him about.

"My name is Professor Goodwitch. I also teach here at Beacon."

"I am Weiss Schnee, huntress-in-training and heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

"Blake."

Aero had a hard a hard time focusing on what the others were saying as his mind was putting together the pieces he'd been collecting. The language. The machines. Ozpin. Beacon. There was no way any of these things could exist unless…

"The name's Yang."

"I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you, Mr. …," she said trailing off.

Aero thought his heart was going to stop. He could practically feel his pupils shrinking as sweat droplets started to form on his brow.

"Yang…"

"Your name's Yang too? That's cool."

"No," he said. "Yang. You're Yang Xiao Long."

"So you've heard of me, huh," she said crossing her arms. "I guess I am pretty famous." Aero paid her no mind as he turned his head to the red-hooded girl.

"Are you… Ruby Rose?"

"Um," she said in a worried tone, "yes. How did you know who my sister and I were?"

"Half-sisters," said Aero.

"Ok," said Yang with a serious expression, "how did you know _that_?"

Aero laid his head down and stared at the light on the ceiling, which he now realized was being powered by electricity, the stuff in lightning, just like all these other machines. He was in absolute shock. His mind was still trying to find some other answer, but he kept coming back to the same conclusion.

This place. This _time_. It wasn't his.

"Hello? Remnant to Blond Boy. Are you gonna answer my question or what?"

It was silent for a moment.

"Aero."

"Huh?"

"My name is Aero, Son of Halos," he said as he raised his head up to face the sisters, "and I was the last person to see Summer Rose alive."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm really enjoying writing this and love it when I hear how you guys are enjoying it too. As a note, I'm going to start taking a little longer to post each chapter. My computer is having some trouble with it's typing program and I also plan on making each chapter a little longer. I'll still be churning them out as quickly as possible, usually within a few days at most. As always, please continue to comment and share your thoughts. I really love hearing from you guys and I'll try to respond to as many questions and suggestions as I can. For now, please enjoy the next chapter of Shard.**

The water surrounding him was cold, murky and, worst of all, filled with marine Grimm. He had only been submerged for a few seconds before he saw their dark silhouettes in the dim light. The surface seemed to be a ways above the black haired boy, but it was the way he was headed.

The light was getting slighter greater as he made his way upward, but he suddenly found himself being pulled back into the darkness by a slimy tentacle wrapped around his leg. He turned to see a Cthulu, glowing with green phosphorescent lights, pulling him toward its gnashing beak. Knowing flight wasn't an option, the boy reached to his side and grabbed one of the two sheathed swords on his waist. Each blade was slim and double-edged, with the one he was currently holding having an extra pole-like extension at the base of the hilt. He slashed downward at the tentacle. It came off easily, though the water was slowing his attack down, and the squid beast darted away after leaving a large cloud of ink.

He quickly fired off several magenta energy bolts downward. The force sent the swordsman rocketing upward toward the surface and, more importantly, toward oxygen and away from the acidic cloud of death below him. When he finally made it to the top, he filled his lungs with a large breath of cool, salty, not-made-of-seawater air. The relief of not drowning washed over him. The boy had personally never liked the ocean or it's creepy denizens. Especially not the "tentacle-ly" ones. They gave him chills just thinking about them.

The sun was slowly rising in the east and he could see land in the same direction, a pretty far swim for someone who: a) had never been much of a swimmer and b) was currently wearing soaking wet black robes and two lightweight, but still non-hydrodynamic, swords sheaths. Not to mention he'd have to continually fight the swarms of deadly creatures between him and safety, especially the 12 foot Denta whose massive fin was passing beside him.

 _ **I know he didn't mean for this to happen,**_ the dark haired boy thought as he raised his sword, _ **but that's not gonna stop me from kicking Aero's butt.**_

About an hour of swimming/ fighting off slimy Cthulu and razor-skinned Denta later, the Totomian found himself walking onto a seemingly secluded beach. He made it about two steps onto the dry sand before falling on his face, his body and mind completely exhausted. Delta may have helped some, but he still had no idea how Selena could stay in the water for so long while still enjoying the waves.

The sun beat down on him for about an hour and still no one came across the napping swordsman. He was enjoying his rest when he felt goosebumps run down his body. Snapping awake, though still extremely tired, the boy unsheathed one blade and looked around for any enemies. None were there, but he still didn't let his guard down.

He felt the shiver again, only this time it felt… deeper, like it was touching his aura itself. The sound of the crashing waves behind him steadily grew louder as he tried to discover what had caused the sensation. Then, he felt cool drops of water fall on his head. He turned around to see that a rainshower was moving it's way inland. There was no where to seek shelter on the beach, so the boy painfully trudged over a sand dune to find… more sand. The entire landscape was desert as far as the eye could see.

 _ **Great. I've gone from soaking wet to burning hot and now I'm coming full circle. What's next? An ice storm?**_

It wasn't a moment later the boy felt small pieces of hail pelt the top of his head. Now, it was rare for the boy to show any kind of emotion. His face was usually stuck in a perpetual state of zero expression whatsoever; however, he allowed himself a small scowl for nature having a sense of irony.

He used a small amount of energy and raised a small shield around his body, causing his body to glow in a faint magenta light. His reserves of aura were running dangerously low, but not being pelted by ice felt worth the expense. He scanned the desert for any trace of shelter. A rock formation was just a short walk from the shoreline and, hoping to find some protection from the elements, he made his way to the stones.

The stonewall gave him some protection from the wind and rain, but it was hardly an ideal place to weather the storm. He tried to wedge himself between two of the larger stones, when his hand came across a portion of the wall with what looked like some writing on the edge, though the marking was being obscured by the rain and sand blowing in the wind. He dusted off some of the gritty mineral to find the marking wasn't writing, but instead a shape he was very familiar with: the winged crest of Totum.

Knowing what having the mark usually meant in out-of-the-way places, the boy summoned his will and used his last bit of extra aura to engulf the stone with his Grip and roll it to the side. In front of him was a passageway leading to a small stone room built into the desert floor. The room was filled with sand, more sand and…

 _ **Why me?**_

In the corner was a large mass of white silk and on that was an angry looking Arachne. It wasn't very large, but the spider-like Grimm could still be dangerous if, say, the person it was fighting was on the verge of collapsing. Said warrior took a step back out of the doorway, hid on the side, raised his sword into the opening and tried out an old trick his father had told him. He shook his sword up and down, causing the spider beast to race toward the piece of metal. Pulling his sword out of sight, he pointed it near the ground and felt a moment of amusement when he saw the creature turn the corner to quickly and stab itself onto the blade.

With the den clear, the dark haired boy entered his new shelter. There really wasn't anything here, which, considering these were supposed to be secret military storehouses, was extremely weird. He had been hoping to find some provisions for his starving stomach and parched throat. The only thing that stood out was the Arachne's now unoccupied web. He took a step towards it, hoping to find that there were no other surprises waiting for him.

He cut into the web and found… and found.. and found…

His vision was fading. Collapsing from exhaustion, the boy landed sprawled out in what remained of the Arachne's nest. His hand found something hard as he struggled to move. Using the last bit of energy he had, he opened his eyes to see a shattered purple crystal in his hand. His eyes, the same shade of violet, shrunk at the sight.

 _ **This… This is…**_

His eyes finally closed as the crystal cast a light on it's new owner.

Or, perhaps it was the other way around.

-x-

Yang was three things. First, she was a thrill seeker, a daredevil who wanted every moment of her life to be as thrilling as possible. Whether that meant fighting off a group of Ursa, almost destroying a club downtown or riding her motorcycle with a terrified Neptune down a congested highway, Yang was up for anything.

Second, she was an investigator. Not the kind that dealt with a common assault or theft. She was into cold case files, particularly the disappearance of her mother, Raven Branwen. She had recently obtained some information about her from a... direct source, but that was a tale for another time.

Finally, and before anything else, she was the older sister of Ruby Rose. When she was 5 years old, after their mother's disappearance, Yang made a vow to watch over her sister for all their days together. She had spent so much time playing with her, reading with her, watching her grow up. Everything Summer would have done with them. Yang still remembered the horrified confusion on Ruby's little face when she had to explain to a 3 year old why her mother wasn't going to come kiss her goodnight.

Maybe that's why she did what she did.

Walking up to the boy, this stranger called Aero, Yang spoke with each step she took. Softly, but with the ferocity of a mother Ursa.

"You...are going...to tell...me...everything." Yang bent down over the boy and looked at him with fiery red eyes. For added effect, she raised her right gauntlet up and readied it to fire, the mechanisms interlocking until she heard the glocking of a shotgun shell. She didn't plan on actually hurting him.

Or maybe she did. Yang wasn't exactly calm at the moment.

"Yang."

She looked over her shoulder to see Ruby looking at her with a pleading face. Composing herself a bit, she lowered her weapon and walked back to stand next to her sister, her guard never lowering completely. Summer was a _very_ sensitive subject for Yang, so she was defending herself the only way she knew: anger and punches.

"Talk," said Yang in soft, growling voice. The boy looked concerned, but not afraid and that was really pestering Yang. She wanted him to know that she was in charge of the situation, even though she knew she wasn't. It was silent for a moment as the boy looked down and tried to compose his thoughts.

"Talk!" It hadn't even been 3 seconds before Yang demanded an answer again. This time the boy flinched slightly, giving Yang a small bit of satisfaction, but also earning her a glare from Ruby. Aero let out a deep sigh and raised his head up.

"My name is Aero..."

"Yeah, we got that already," Yang said as she interrupted him. Everyone in the room could feel the tension rising. The boy hadn't even been able to finish a single sentence yet.

"Ms. Xiao Long," said Ozpin sternly, "please." Yang met the professor's eyes for a moment before losing their staredown. Ozpin was one of the few people in the world who Yang felt humbled by. She shrunk down a bit and listened, though it took every ounce of will not to speak up again.

"My name is Aero," the boy continued. "I am a son of Halos, the second king of Totum, though I guess none of those names have any real meaning here." Everyone was listening intently, each with the same questions on their minds. There were only 4 kingdoms in Remnant and Totum was not one of them. Yang remembered Dr. Oobleck talking about some theory that there may have been others centuries ago, but no one was sure of anything like that had ever existed. There weren't even real kings anymore, per se. Each nation was ruled by a governing council. Sure, there were individuals who lead these councils and were de facto "kings," but they were basically long lasting officials who just happened to be born into the position and had a small amount of extra power. They were far from the absolute monarchs of the past.

"I met Summer when I was 3 years old. The whole day is something of a blur, but on that day a group of rebels snuck into the palace and tried to kidnap my brother and I. Tensions were still running high after the last war and more than a few people were eager to get their sweet revenge. It was before dawn, so I guessed they figured everyone would still be asleep." Yang popped an eyebrow as the boy spoke. Nothing he was saying was making any sense. The last war ended 80 years ago. Unless he was frozen in ice or something, there was no way he could've been alive at the time.

"I remember there were two, a man with some kind of cat ears and a woman with the tongue of a snake." Yang glanced to the side and saw Blake's expression tighten at the mention of the Faunus, but still no one said anything.

"They were…terrifying. It was the first time in my life I ever felt fear. I even saw the one with the ears kill a guard after he yelled for the alarm to sound." The boy's face true fear while he spoke. Yang even felt like believing him for a moment, if just out of pity. "The snake woman was about to finish me off when my father appeared in the doorway. He still wore every Shard then, but I guess that doesn't mean anything you either."

"He wore the rings on his right hand, with the exception of Beta," he said as he pointed to his necklace. "Normally, there wouldn't have been a person in the world who could stop him, but… the cat man hid beside the door and attacked my father before he could react. He didn't kill him, but he managed to slice my father's hand clean off."

Yang looked at the boy closely as he kept telling his story. Some of what he said didn't make any sense, but he sounded truly genuine as he spoke. She glanced at Ruby whose focus was solely on his words. Yang didn't need to be able to read Ruby's mind to know she was completely entranced by what he was saying. She always got like that when listening to a story.

"I can't remember the exact feeling, but it felt… deep, like my soul was trying to escape my body. I reached outward to my father, full of fear and anger, when everything got bright. _Very_ bright. My brother and I, we were… glowing, silver and purple. The Shards were glowing to, even Beta. Before I knew it, there was a glowing white orb in the middle of the room."

He paused for a moment and caught his breath. In the moment, Yang had forgotten the boy was still wounded and using several painkillers. She felt a little shame upon realizing she'd almost attacked someone in that state.

"Suddenly, everything started moving. The whole room was shaking as our little star got bigger and bigger. I panicked at everything that was happening." Yang heard the heart rate monitor quicken as his speech did the same. "I just wanted everything to stop. That's when it happened. The orb shrank to the size of a marble before starting to shoot out like an explosion. I don't know what would have have happened if my father had used Beta to hold back the…"

He stopped for a moment before looking at Yang and Ruby. Yang could see something in his eye. Sadness?

"Actually, I think I do know." He stopped for a moment and thought about something that caused his face to drop.

"Anyway," he went on, "my father was holding in the explosion with Beta when something shot out of the light and hit the man straight into the wall, knocking him out. The thing, the person, stood up a moment later. She had long black hair with scarlet tips. Her clothes were black and red and she wore a white hood on her back. It was the first time I ever saw Summer Rose." Yang's eyes widened when she heard her mother's name. He was finally at the part she wanted to hear.

"She looked… well, I guess like I probably looked when you found me, Ruby: totally out of place and in full knowledge of it too. That expression changed when she saw me though. The snake woman grabbed me and held a knife to my throat. The moment she saw what was happening to me, she disarmed the woman and kicked her in the head, leaving her in the same state as her partner. She was moving so fast I couldn't even see her." Yang could tell he was getting tired. His eyes were starting to droop, his speech was slowing and he was still hadn't said what was happening to Summer _now_. It wasn't that she didn't care about what he was saying, but she liked info she could immediately act on.

"I couldn't understand a word she said, but I remember her comforting us. She wiped our tears and smiled. I didn't know it, but she was telling us it would be alright." He let out a yawn, but kept speaking. "After that, she became a part of the family. She had nowhere to go, so we took her in. She even learned our language as it was being taught to us. We learned her's along the way.

At this point, it was obvious he wasn't going to last much longer. He was barely conscious. He quickly went told the story of how he and Summer fought someone named Riss Say or Rise or something, but the story felt broken, like he was having a hard time remembering some important details. He didn't talk about who this Rize guy was or why they were fighting. Yang figured she'd have to find out later.

"And that's how I ended up here in your time." Needless to say, Yang, along with everyone else, didn't know who to react to what they'd just been told. According to his testimony, this boy was some sort of ancient prince with a magic rock who brought her mother back in time and managed to knock himself forward. Yeah, that wasn't gonna fly with Yang, but there was still one thing she needed to know.

"Where is she now?" To Yang's surprise, it was Ruby who spoke up before she could. The boy was about 99% under when Yang went up and shook him awake.

"Where is our mother?"

"I… don't… know…" And with that, he was gone.

The sound of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room. Nobody moved until Yang started shaking the boy, trying to keep him alert.

"No," she said softly. "No. No. No! NO! You are staying awake!" She tried to keep shaking until she felt Ruby pull her back, pleading with her to stop. Yang finally did look back and saw her sister had tears in her eyes. She couldn't stand to see that, so she went into the hall and punched a wall, leaving several cracks in it.

"Yang," said Ruby, who had followed her out and stood behind her, "are you…"

"You don't believe him, do you," she asked, keeping her back to her sister.

"I… I don't know."

"It's crazy," she said in a forced whisper. "There's no way it could be true."

It was silent for a moment before Ruby spoke up again.

"He had mom's hood. That's the thing Ozpin was talking about." Though Yang couldn't see it, she could tell from the sound in her voice that Ruby was crying.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you! I was just so scared of... " Ruby wept louder before feeling Yang embrace her, which was immediately returned. Yang shushed her younger sister and brushed her hair as she felt tears forming in her own eyes.

"It's okay, Ruby. I'm sorry I acted the way I did in there."

"I just…," choked Ruby, "I just want…"

Yang held her sister tighter.

"I know, little sister. I know."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I really need to get my computer looked at. It was glitching so bad I had to write most of this chapter on my phone. Anyway, I hope you guys like the new chapter. As always, please favorite, follow and comment if you'd like. I enjoy hearing what you guys have to say.**

 **P.S. If you guys have been waiting for another action scene, there will be one at the beginning of the next chapter. I now waiting is terrible, but trust me, it's gonna be worth the wait ;)**

"So," said Weiss, "your mother's name is Summer. Not that you have to tell me or anything!" Ruby actually laughed a bit upon seeing her teammate raise her hands in front of her with a worried expression. It was almost noon and Team RWBY was making their way down to the cafeteria for some lunch.

"It's fine, Weiss," said Ruby with a smile. "Yes, her name was Summer Rose and she was the best mom a girl could ask for." Ruby was surprised at her own good mood. For almost 13 years, she had completely avoided speaking about her mother to anyone, even Yang, but now she felt a strange sense of relief whenever she thought about her.

"Are you sure you're okay," asked her older sister.

"To be honest," said Ruby, I've never felt better. I guess I've just got a good feeling."

The girls made their way into the cafeteria. The large room was mostly empty on the weekends, but they did spy Team JNPR sitting at one of the long tables. They made their way over and sat next to their sister team.

"Hey guys," said Jaune. "How'd the hospital visit go?"

"Yee," piped in Nora, her mouth full of food. "Dwd da esplody guy wik op?" Everyone turned to Ren, hoping to get some translation.

"Did the explody guy wake up?"

"We heard someone was riding through the halls on a stolen stretcher," added Pyrrha. "We thought that was probably who you were going to see."

"What makes you say that," asked Weiss with a little spoiled offense in her voice. "The weird stuff doesn't always happen to us."

"Yes he was and yes it does," said Blake, who continued to eat her tuna sandwich, unfazed by the white haired girl's scowl.

"So," Jaune continued, "what happened?"

Weiss and Blake exchanged a worried glance at each other while Yang crossed her arms and looked down at the table with a serious expression. They stayed like that for a moment before turning to their leader. Ruby knew they were leaving the choice of what to say up to her and expected her to not say any of the strange things Aero had told them; however, she honestly did feel some strange comfort in her chest when she thought about what the boy said. Even though she didn't know where her mother was, she had something she had given up on years ago: hope. She looked at her team with a determined smile and nodded.

"Ok guys," she said as she turned to Team JNPR, "listen to this."

As Ruby recounted what had happened with Aero, while leaving out the scene between her and Yang, as well as when she nearly fell on him, she could see differing expressions on her friend's faces. Jaune looked like a kid reading a comic book, Pyrrha and Ren had intent expressions on and Nora looked… well, like Nora.

"And that's the last thing he said," Ruby said as she finished her story. They all sat there for a moment when Nora couldn't contain her excitement any longer.

"That was awesome," said the hyperactive hammer wielder, "A mysterious stranger in the night. Monsters! Sword fights! EXPLOSIONS! I mean, personally, I would've added some some kind of gun in there to give it that action movie feel and the zombies would have been like "Rarr, I'll eat your brains! Rarr!" and then the… Ooooohhhh! We should go see him right now and get more stories!" the girl tried to run toward the exit, only to be stopped by Ren grabbing the back of her shirt.

"Stories," asked Ruby. She was a little surprised at her orange haired friends lighthearted response, even if that was what Nora was known for.

"Yee. Stowies." Nora swallowed before speaking again. "I mean, you don't actually believe that right." Ruby felt a little pain in her chest when she heard Nora's words. She knew her friend meant well, but something about hearing Aero might have been making it up hurt. Especially the parts about her mother.

"That it isn't to say some of it isn't true," said Pyrrha, who could she Ruby's expression lower. "If he really did have your mother's hood then he must have some connection to her. It's just the whole... everything else that seems a bit, uh..." Ruby could tell the redhead was having a hard time coming up with the right words. She was grateful at Pyrrha's attempt at cheering her up though.

"The whole thing does seem a bit illogical. Even by our standards." Ruby knew Ren had a point, but she still thought that...

"Yeah," said Nora. "He sounds craaaAAAZZZzzzzzzyyy."

"He is not crazy!" Ruby stood up and slammed her fists onto the table, causing their plates of food to rattle. Her face was slight angry for moment before she saw the shocked faces of her friends. She sat down and looked at her feet.

"I'm sorry, guys."

"Ruby," said Jaune. "Do you believe him?"

Ruby thought about her answer before speaking.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think Aero's lying. He just seemed so... genuine when he talked. Even when he was starting to fall asleep, he tried his best to give as much info as he could. I never thought once that he was making it up"

Ruby looked around at the others and saw the worry on their faces. She understood why they were concerned. The whole situation he described wasn't possible. She knew that, but, if she was being honest with herself, a part of her wanted it to be true. They all say there for a moment, until Blake broke the silence, surprising everyone.

"I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt. I never got a threatening feeling from him. We'll just have to wait for him to wake up to learn any more."

"We should go now!" Nora tried to escape, again, only to get caught by Ren. Again.

"Oh, right," said Nora. "Asleep. Sorry." There was a bit of an awkward silence in the group. No one really knew what to say next, even though the hot topic of the time traveling boy was still on their minds.

"So," said Weiss, "what's everyone doing after this week." Some faces turned to smiles at the thought of their plans. Next week was the last full week of school before the Summer Holiday. Only 5 more school days until sweet, sweet freedom.

"I'm heading to our vacation house," said Jaune. "We've got a nice place north of Vale. I'm ready to show everyone how much better I've become." Ruby thought back to how Jaune was when they met compared to how he was now. While he still had a long way to go, the swordsman had made leaps and bounds in his training with Pyrrha. He's even managed to make it past a few rounds in the Vytal Festival tournament a few weeks prior.

"I'm going to head home to Mistral for a while," said Pyrrha. "After that, I'll be traveling with my family around Remnant."

"We're heading home too! They've got this candy store back home that would blow. Your. Mind." Nora seemed extremely happy to head home, especially if it meant some alone time with Ren. Ruby knew she could be a little childish, but even she wasn't oblivious to the "they-should-just-kiss-already" couples in Team JNPR.

"Well," said Weiss, "I don't really have any plans for the summer. I'll probably head home for a bit, but I don't know what after that."

"What about you, Blake?" The blonde brawler turned to her Faunus partner, whose eyes shrank a bit.

"I...," she said, "I was actually going to ask Professor Ozpin if it was okay for me to stay here at the Academy."

"What?!" The whole group, even Ren, spoke up in shock at what Blake had said.

"It's not like I have anywhere else to go," she continued in a soft voice. "This is my first summer without being... you know." Ruby then realized the position her friend was in. Without the White Fang, Blake was effectively homeless. She was about to speak up when Yang spoke for her.

"Don't worry, Blake. You can come stay with us on Patch. I'm sure dad won't mind and I know Zwei would miss you." Blake winced a bit at the mention of the Rose-Xiao Long family pet. She really did act like a cat sometimes.

"I don't know."

"Come on, Blake," said Ruby, "it'll be fun." Blake still didn't look convinced it was a good idea.

"You know," said Yang, "if you come with us, we'll be able to keep up our investigation." Blake's bow moved a bit, a sign that her kitty ears perked up.

"It's just a quick trip from Patch to Vale," added Ruby. "We could be frequent visitors." Blake thought about it for a moment.

"Will I get my own room?"

"We've got a few guest bedrooms and Dad keeps a lot his books in the one of them." Blake allowed herself a small smile at the mention of her precious books. Ruby knew she was sold on the idea.

"I guess I could," said the Faunus girl, "if it's not too much trouble."

"Alright," said Yang with a fist pump. "How about you Weiss? Think your folks would mind a little Team RWBY Summer Sleepover?"

"I can probably make some arrangments," Weiss said with a barely hidden smile. Ruby knew that, beneath the ice cold exterior, her teammate really did enjoy spending time with them. That, or she just didn't want to leave Zwei.

"Looks like you guys are gonna have one heck of a Summer," said Jaune. "We were actually talking about trying to meet up at some point too."

"You guys are welcome to come by our place if you get the chance," said Ruby.

"Sounds like a plan."

The two teams continued to eat there lunch, passing the time with small talk until let Yang let out a huge yawn and stood up. Her eyes were drooping almost as badly as Aero's were as she stretched her arms upward.

"Welp, I don't know about the rest of you, but I plan on taking myself a little nap."

"It's 12:30," said Weiss.

"It's been a long day." The blonde brawler left the room, almost knocking over another student's food in her sleepy daze.

"We were actually planning on heading to Vale this afternoon," said Pyrrha. "Do you guys want to come with us?"

"I would love to," said Weiss. "One of the clothing stores destroyed in the breach a few weeks ago just reopened. I was hoping to buy some summer-wear before Coco gets her hands on the place." Ruby didn't the leader of Team CFVY very well, but there wasn't a student in Beacon who didn't know it was suicide to stand between her and the latest fashion.

"I'll come too," said Blake. "The next novel in a series I'm reading came out recently and I haven't been able to go buy it."

"What's it called," asked Nora. Blakes eyes shrunk a bit at the question.

"It's called, uh, _Pirates... of... War._ Yeah. That.

"That's not a book I've ever..." said Jaune before Blake interrupted.

"So, Ruby, what are you going to do?"

"Actually," said the hooded girl as she looked at her friends, "I was planning on staying here in case Aero wakes up again."

"Oh," said Weiss with an evil grin that Ruby had seen earlier that day, "I see. You just want to spend some _"alone time"_ with the new guy."

"Hey," said Ruby in a whine sounding voice. "It's not like that."

"She did act very defensive of him earlier," said Ren in a nonchalant tone.

"I don't even know him!" Ruby felt a blush creep into her cheeks.

"Looks like her cheeks are starting to match her name," said Jaune with a laugh.

"Whatever. See you guys later." Ruby then made her way toward the exit, still flustered from what had happened. She knew they were only teasing her and they knew she didn't actually think about Aero like that. The girl just wasn't used to being teased about something she had basically avoided her whole life. When you spend all your time fighting monsters, who has time for a boyfriend?

Ruby finally made it to the hospital wing and opened the door to Aero's room. The boy was still asleep, but now he was he laying his side with the bed sheets tossed and turned all over him. Before, he was basically forced unconscious and laid on his back, straight as a tree. Now, after they removed his IV, he looked like he was actually getting some comfortable rest.

The girl took a seat next to the bed and thought about everything that had happened since last night. It was hard for her to believe it hadn't even been a day since Aero appeared in the forest. With everything that happened, the whole thing felt like an eternity.

The blonde newcomer stirred in his sleep a bit, causing some alarm for Ruby, who had seen the panic he woke up in before. Instinctively, she reached out and put her hand on his head. When she had nightmares as a kid, Yang always used to do that to calm her down. The technique seemed to be working and Aero quickly calmed and fell deeper into his sleep. Ruby felt a little embarrassed at the whole situation, particularly when Aero nudged his head into her palm a bit, but she was just glad the boy was sleeping soundly.

Ruby looked down to see the crystal necklace he wore. According to him, it was called Beta and was something called a Shard. He didn't say exactly what they were, or even what they were shards of, but they sounded powerful. Together, they could even somehow send people...

 _No_ , she thought, _that still sounds impossible._ Ruby was torn between what made sense and what was in front of her. Nothing about him implied he was some liar. Even Blake said they shouldn't assume he was making the whole thing up. Either way, whether she believed the time travel part or not, Ruby was certain Aero knew her mother somehow. Between the hood and the way he described her in his story, Ruby had no doubts about it. The question was: what were they supposed to do with that information? He seemed like he would help them if he could and they still had some time before school let out for the summer, but she feel like it wouldn't be enough. One week didn't seem like enough time to solve a decade old MIA case.

Aero nudged a bit more into Ruby's hand, causing her to blush a slight bit. Looking down at the boy, Ruby suddenly got an idea in her head. She knew what to do next. She just hoped Yang wouldn't be mad.

Or worse, her father.

-x-

Ozpin took a sip from his precious coffee mug as he watched the recording for what seemed like the hundredth time. He had played it regular speed, double speed, halved and every other variant multiples times already, hoping to catch something he had missed. He should have been preparing for the 4th Year's upcoming graduation event, but he couldn't shake the boy off of his mind.

In his years as a Huntsman, he had learned many things, the kinds of knowledge you don't get without staring into the eyes of death more times than you can count. The most important things he learned were nothing was truly impossible and if it could go wrong, it would go wrong. That is why, if no one else was going to, he was taking the possibility of the young man's story being true very seriously.

He swiped the monitor in front of him and a screen showing Aero's hospital room was enlarged. The image showed the boy asleep in his bed with a certain scythe wielder putting her hand on his head when he started to stir. Ozpin let out a small chuckle as he looked at the scene and turned off the video to give the two some privacy.

"You really are Summer's daughter, Ruby."

Ozpin stood up and walked toward his window. In his youth, he never imagined he'd be standing in such a position. Some people believed he was some sort of "Super Huntsman," someone with the ability to command others, as well as himself, at levels normal people could only dream of. In truth, Ozpin knew it was less his skill and more his ability to draw trouble to him that earned his slightly exaggerated reputation. This gave him a great deal of hope for his current students, as they seemed to be even greater magnets for mayhem than he was. If he was being honest, he may have even been a little jealous.

He turned around when he heard the elevator open and saw a glasses-wearing, green haired man walk toward him. Ozpin had prepared a cup of coffee for when his friend arrived, but, per the usual, he already had his own thermos.

"Good afternoon, Bartholomew."

"And a good afternoon to you as well, Oz," said the caffeine addicted history professor as the two took their seats. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you may be able to answer some questions that have recently sprung up," said Ozpin. "I believe you may best suited to answer them."

"I'll be happy to help in anyway I can," said Oobleck as he downed another swig of the black lava.

"I'm sure you are aware that a young man was brought to the academy last night and immediately went to the infirmary."

"Oh yes," said the history professor. "It is certainly the buzz among the school today. Some students I was helping prepare for my final exam couldn't stop talking about the boy. I eventually convinced them of their immediate need for focus, but I'll admit the story of him riding though the halls has certainly become a popular one.

"That isn't the only story about him I've heard today," said Ozpin in a solemn tone. He clicked a button on his desk and a holographic image of Aero's necklace shimmered into existence. Before Ozpin had the chance to ask if Oobleck recognized the symbol, the green haired man spoke up.

"Where did you find this necklace?" The seriousness in his voice was all Ozpin need to know his friend was indeed familiar with the winged crest. Oz recounted the story Aero had told them and watched with a small amount of shock as Oobleck remained perfectly still the entire time, a sight rarer than finding an albino Beowolf.

"Hmm," hummed Oobleck once Ozpin was done with his story. "You are sure the boy said Totum and Halos?" Ozpin nodded in response and watched with a small amount of horror as the normally guzzling doctor put his thermos onto the desk.

"There are legends," he said in low tone, "of civilizations that predate our own. Actual evidence of such nations is incredibly scarce and widely scrutinized in the archaeological community, but one such society has repeatedly reared it's head through the history of the study: Totum." Ozpin leaned forward at the affirmation that Aero's supposed kingdom wasn't simply a figment of the boy's imagination.

"No one has made any discoveries pertaining to the legend in over a century," he continued. "The last known piece of evidence was discovered during an excavation in the mountains of Atlas. A small piece of stone had several writings edged into it. Though to this day the text remains largely undecipherable, a word and an image, the same image as this necklace," he said as he stared at the hologram, "and the same word the boy said, was found on it and several other carvings found throughout the world. Research puts the age of the relics anywhere between two and three thousand years old.

"But that would place them..."

"Exactly. This would make them several centuries older than any kingdom today."

"Bartholomew," said Ozpin. "Do you believe what this young man has told us could be true?"

"I don't know Oz," he said as he picked up his thermos and stood up. "I'll have to do more research and meet the boy myself before I can make any judgments. I'll let you know when I've found something." He turned and made his way to the door.

"Thank you, Bartholomew."

"You're very welcome, Headmaster." The doctor was almost at the door when he stopped and spoke again. "Ozpin."

"Yes," said the Headmaster.

"Our world is called Remnant," he said as he stepped into the elevator. "The question is: what are we the remnant of?" With that, the door closed and Ozpin was left alone in his office.

He sat in the silence, gripping his cane tightly, while looking at the glowing image in front of him and wondering what it meant for the future.


	7. Chapter 7

The best defense is a good offence. Someone would be hard pressed to find a single person in Atlas who didn't adhere to that saying as a universal truth. If there was one thing the Atlesians valued, it was the pride they held for their strength. It was because of this fact that every military compound Atlas supported was armed to the teeth, regardless of how seemingly out-of-the-way said compound was. Such was the case for one small camp set up on the far south-western coast of Vacuo.

The encampment was made of a few small buildings and one slightly larger main compound. Built in a joint effort between Vacuo and Atlas, the institution was built mainly to supervise the waterways south of the continent, despite the fact that nearest civilian settlement was over 20 miles away and nothing interesting ever happened there. Literally. A kitchen fire would be big news for the small group of about a dozen troopers stationed there, which led most of the Vacuo native men to be a little… laid back about their work. An example would be the two soldiers stationed atop the watchtower.

"See anything," asked one of the soldiers, who had maroon trimmings on his armor. His partner, an overweight weight soldier with orange trimmings, sighed as he lowered his binoculars.

"What was my answer the last 400 times you asked that question?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe something had changed."

"Yeah," said the man in an angry, sarcastic tone. "Something changed. I turned my head slightly to the right and saw nothing but sand. Now, I'm gonna turn turn to the left and see nothing but water. Sand. Water. Sand. Water. That's all we're ever gonna see here so the next time you ask that question just flip a coin and say sand or water. You'll have a 50% chance of being right."

"Well, you didn't have to be so mean about it." His partner sighed again.

"Look, I'm sorry, dude. It's just that I am really, really, _really_ bored out here, the cafeteria was out of Pumpkin Pete's cereal this morning and the heat is getting to my head. I didn't mean to snap. Are we good?"

"Yeah. We're good." The two sat in silence for a second before the maroon one spoke again. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder why we're he…"

"Wait," he interrupted. "I see something!"

"What? Where?!"

"Over there. Look!" He passed the binoculars to his partner and gestured out into the desert where a black figure was walking toward the station. The person moved a bit closer, when whoever they were fell forward into the sand. The maroon trooper pulled out his Scroll and signaled the med-center that they were bringing in a new patient.

The two misfits made there way down to one of the camp's vehicles, an ATV they called the Boarbatusk, though some still argued it should be called the Leo, and drove to the figure, who turned out to be a young man wearing robes and carrying two swords. He was barely conscious and had some terrible sunburns on his his face and lower arms.

" **Food…"** he said. " **Water…"**

"What did he say," asked the orange soldier.

"Who cares? Just get him in the back."

The two loaded the boy up and made their way back to the base. Once, they got there, they carried him into the makeshift ward the on-site medic had built and laid him down on a table.

"Doc," said the orange one. "This guy needs help now!"

"Well," said the nurse, who had violet trims on his outfit, "technically I'm just a medic. Not an actual…"

"Dude! Just fix this kid!"

"Alright, alright." He scanned with what looked like some weird lazer gun until it lit up green. "Well the good news is that he's gonna be just fine. Just needs some food and water is all. The _better_ news is that I absolutely love his outfit. I've never been much of dark colors, but everyone should know that purple highlights are cool."

"Whatever," said the out of shape soldier as he pulled a snack cake out of one of his pockets.

"Why do you have that on you?"

"Don't judge me." The man didn't have time to react before the medic took his food and handed it to his patient, who took the whole thing down in one bite.

"Wow," said the not-doctor, "you must have really been hungry. I bet that tasted good."

"I bet the taste of my fist in your mouth isn't gonna taste so good." While they were talking, the medic brought out several bottles of water that the boy quickly downed the same way he had the cake. Feeling a weight in a small compartment in his robes, he pulled out whatever was there and found himself carrying a small purple crystal. His eyes shrank a bit upon remembering the violet stone, but he had no time to react before he felt the cold sweep over him, darkening his irises filling him with a strange urge.

"Now, now. Violence is never the answer."

"Where am I?" The soldiers turned to the boy, who had finally spoken.

"You're in a base on the southwest side of Vacuo, my friend," said the orange one. "The single worst sandball in the kingdom."

"Is this a major military base?" The boy felt the drive in his body grow stronger.

"No. It's pretty much the three of us and a few more guys," said the maroon soldier. "There used to be a girl on the base, but she left after getting reassigned. Apparently, she was "too good" for us or something like that."

"What are your provisions?" The feeling in his chest was almost unbearable. He was about at his limit of control.

"We have a lot of nasty weapons stored in the armory," said the medic, "and some big robots guarding some points around the base, but I don't like talking about them. I'm something of a pacifist myself."

"Uh, are you sure you should be telling him that," said the maroon one.

"That I'm a pacifist?"

"No, you idiot," said his partner. "About the weapons and stuff."

"It's not like it's a secret. This is military compound, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't think we should be..."

"How close are we to the nearest city?" He could feel it...

"Listen, kid," said the orange one as he grabbed the boy's shoulder, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but hows about we take you up to the command room and you can tell _us_ what... Oww!" The boy grabbed the man's wrist, finally giving into his drive, and twisted it in a painful motion, dropping him to his knees. His partner reached for his weapon before the stranger dashed at him and tripped his legs. He followed up with a spinning kick to the maroon one's head, knocking him out. Fearing for his life, the medic ran out of the tent, screaming like a little girl.

The Totomian followed him out, only to feel something hit the left side of his torso, knocking him back into the tent. He inspected himself and found a small hole in his robes and little red dot on his skin. His aura had protected him from injury, but it still stung.

He ran out of the tent again, this time feeling the rush of something going past his head as he moved. Glancing to his side, he saw 3 armor plated... things, standing between him and the main building. They looked like men, but they seemed to be completely made of metal and held what the boy assumed to be some kind of projectile weapon. His theory was confirmed when the end of the weapons lit up in sparks and shot small pieces of metal that churned up the sand on contact, barely missing his feet.

 _ **So, that's what a gun is.**_

He changed course and headed straight to the machine soldiers, using a shield in front of him to completely deflect the rounds. Once close enough, he grabbed one of his blades, crouched into position and launched himself upward, severing the android's arm along the way. As he fell back down, he took his other sword and beheaded the mechanical warrior.

The other two reacted by changing both arms into weapon form, causing their rate of fire to increase dramatically. To make matters worse, the boy felt the ground shake beneath him. He turned around and saw a giant, metal monster walking toward him. On each arm were weapons far larger than those used by his smaller opponents.

"Woo hoo!" The voice was rough, had a thick accent seemed to be coming from inside the machine. "I always wanted to try out the new robot, but I never thought the girl's maiden voyage would be so soon!" The machine took a few more steps and stood over the boy. "Now, son, while I can see the extreme entertainment value in violence, especially toward the morons at this base, I must ask you to lay down the butter knives and..."

The Totomian paid the voice no mind. Judging that his new opponent may present a slightly more difficult challenge, he decided it was appropriate to assemble his full weapon. Sliding the adapter from the hilt of one blade into the hole of the other, he twisted the dual Adamantine blades until he felt them snap into place. He dashed forward and landed a spinning strike at the legs of the robot with his now double ended sword, causing the machine to stumble back a bit, but not fall.

"So, that's how were gonna do this. Alrighty then!" The robot spun it's hips around and used it's arm a club. The boy leapt up and landed on the swinging arm, using it as a bridge to reach the "head" of the war machine. The two smaller opponents started firing again, this time hitting the giant machine on accident. What projectiles did reach the boy were deflected by his rotating blades.

The swordsman ran down the other arm of the robot, slashing off one it's guns in the process, and flipped in the air before coming down behind the two machines. He thrust his blade forward into one of them and spun toward the other. In one motion, he cut a leg off, slashed the chest with the other blade and jabbed backwards into the robot's head. With two of his enemies defeated, the boy turned his attention back to the large one.

"Lopez Tres and Cinco.0! No! You'll pay for destroying my 4th and 6th greatest creations!" The robot turned back to the boy and pointed several red beams of light at him. Several compartments on the robot's legs and arms opened, revealing several dozen holes that were filled with some kind of metal capsule. With several high pitched noises, every one of these metal objects launched from the machine with trails of fire and smoke behind them.

"These'll teach you, you little... What the-?" Though each capsule was still spouting flames from it's back, none of them were moving. Instead, each was suspended in a dark violet light, the same light that was enveloping the hand of the saberstaff wielding assaulter. Without the slightest bit of emotion on his face, the boy willed the projectiles to turn around and released them toward there new target. The robot's controller, an older man wearing red trimmed armor, barely made it out the back exit hatch of the vehicle before it went it went up in a massive explosion.

The black haired boy walked over to the man who was crawling away from the destroyed mech. Using his Grip, he lifted the man up into the air in front of him. He raised his sword like a spear and prepared to put an end to their little battle.

"You were a fool to challenge me."

"I was about to say the same thing to you, dirtbag."

"And what makes you say that? After I kill you and your men, you'll be the first editions to my new army." The man laughed at this.

"Well, I don't know what any of that Taurus crap is that's coming out of your mouth, but I do know you won't be killing anything today. Not if Shelia has anything to say about it."

"Who is this... Shelia?" Just then, the boy felt a thundering boom echo through the base. He instinctively raised a shield around himself, thereby dropping the field holding the soldier. His reaction was not a moment too soon as he immediately felt a powerful, explosive force send him flying out of the base and into a pile of sand.

The boy was seeing double and it took him a while to recompose himself. He was about to make his way back to the base when he felt a presence next to him. Turning his head to the side, he saw several trails of sand rapidly moving in his direction. Out of the mounds of the gritty substance came three Deathworms, an infamous desert dwelling Grimm known for stalking those unfortunate enough to find themselves lost in Vacuo's unforgiving wastelands.

The beasts readied themselves for the kill, when each suddenly stopped in front of the boy. He stared at the monsters with the slightest hint of fear on his face and stood up. His eyes flashed a shade of purple and the Grimm backed down, like a pack of trained dogs in front of their master.

The boy turned to look at the base to see several vehicles leaving the facility, likely to avoid entering a battle even the dumbest of idiots knew they would lose. He reentered the base, with the Deathworms following close behind, and found it devoid of life. On a desk in the main building, he found a small floating screen with what looked like three rows of letters underneath it. This presented something of a problem. He assumed the machine was probably what Summer had called a "computer," but, despite his knowledge of the spoken word, the writing of her time was almost unknown to him. She didn't exactly have many books written in her language to show Aero and him when they were growing up. Luckily, he pressed one symbol that looked like a musical note and the machine starting reading the content of the screen aloud. This would make getting information much easier for him.

He walked back out of the complex and saw the Grimm waiting at the door. Turning to the side, he looked at the tracks leading away from the base.

 **"I think we've given them more than a fair head start, don't you,"** he spoke aloud to his pets. **"Go."** The Deathworms dug themselves into the sand and followed the tracks likely leading to the city the soldiers had mentioned when he arrived. The boy hoped that was were they were going. He might gain some Fractals out of this situation after all.

He took the dark crystal out his pocket, basking in it's light for a moment, before heading back inside for food, drink and, most importantly, information about the whole new world set before him.

-x-

"No."

"Come on, sis."

"No." It was the end of the day and every member of Team RWBY had made their way back to the room for the night. Ruby and Yang were discussing the scythe wielder's plan for their new friend, Weiss was petting Zwei and listening to the sister's argument and Blake was reading her new book, pretending not to care.

"Pretty please," said Ruby, who jumped down to her sisters bed and was giving the blonde brawler her best puppy dog eyes.

"Hmm," said Yang. "No."

"Why not?"

"First, we don't even know him. Second, there's a possibility he has some serious mental problems. Third, and most importantly, Dad would _never_ say yes to it, so the answer is still the same." Yang rolled over to turn her back to her sister.

Ruby stood there with a dejected look on her face. Since first thinking of her idea, Ruby had played through how she would ask her sister's permission to go through with her plan, all of which ended the same way her actual attempt had.

"If you really want to know more about what happened to your mother," interjected Weiss, "why wouldn't you want him around?"

"Because he's dangerous."

"Don't you want to know more about him?"

Yang sighed and rolled back over. "Of course I do, sis, but we just met the guy. I don't think it's okay to just suddenly think it's a good idea to invite him into our home."

"Well," said Blake, joining the conversation, "why not just learn more about him? We're going to see him tomorrow anyway. You can ask him all the questions you want then."

"Yeah, but..."

"Yang," said Ruby. The two sisters locked eyes and Ruby gave a silent plea to her older sister. Yang tried to hold her ground, but she ended up giving in to her sister's request. She crossed her arms on her pillow and threw her head back on them.

"If I think he's okay after talking to him tomorrow," said Yang, "I _may_ help you convince Dad. After all, he's got the final say." Ruby instantly got a wide smile on her face and jumped up in a victory pose.

"Wow, Ruby," said Weiss. "You sure seem happy about sharing your room with a boy." Ruby immediately froze with her arms still up in her victory position and a blush that made her face look like a tomato. At the same time, Yang immediately jumped up from her bed and looked at Weiss with eyes almost as red as Ruby's blush.

"I... he... we... no... not..." Ruby rambled on as Weiss laughed at her partner's reaction to her joke.

"That's not funny, Weiss," said Yang between her teeth. Normally, Weiss would've been genuinely scared of Yang's wrath, but she was to busy enjoying herself to care.

"I know, I know. It was just a joke," said Weiss, who was still giggling like the teenage girl she was before walking over to the door and shutting off the lights. The girls all got back in their beds, still laughing, embarrassed and angry, and laid down to sleep, before one last comment came from the darkness.

"And I am NOT sharing a room with him!" Ruby could practically feel the smug smile form on Weiss' face before finally falling asleep after what truly was a long, long day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I hope everyone enjoyed the little cameos in the last chapter. I didn't mean to write them in at first, but I just couldn't resist a little RvB love :) The Blood Gulch Crew might also appear in some later chapters, if I can find a way to write them in. Either way, be sure to favorite and share your thoughts and ideas on the story. For now, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter.**

The wind blew lightly through the small courtyard outside the medical wing, causing the summer leaves to sway on their branches. The air was still cool and the sun was barely poking it's head above the horizon. Aero didn't mind being up so early. After having slept for most of the last day, he felt well rested and sat peacefully on a bench facing eastward. No one else was around, giving the Totomian time alone with his thoughts.

Aero was still having a hard time believing he really was where he was, probably even more than the others. He certainly wasn't a stranger when it came to the weirdness the world could offer and, through his misadventures, he had learned that sometimes just accepting what came made more sense than any answer that could be found. The answer was there, he had told himself many times, but that didn't mean it had to be known.

He laughed at himself for having such philosophical thoughts. Summer would probably smack the back of his head for being so sappy.

 _ **Oh well. It'll work itself out.**_

Aero wanted to believe that. He really did, but a little voice in the back of his mind was still whispering...

Shaking his head to ward off those thoughts, he stood up and stretched his legs. Aero valued whatever time he had to relax, but being bedridden wasn't exactly a luxurious time. He stretched his arms up above his head, despite the small pain in his right arm, and let them down with a sigh. His injuries had kept him from using his aura well the day before. It would still be a while before his body and spirit were back at 100%, but he'd managed to subconsciously heal most of the open wounds he had received in his battle with his aura. The nurses had even taken off most of the bandages on his right arm, allowing it some mobility.

He looked at the rising sun, wondering just how many times it had risen and fallen since that fateful day. Summer had always thought she was brought back centuries, maybe even more. Not many people believed her story when she finally learned enough of the Totomian language to tell it, but that didn't mean they were any less accepting of the woman who had saved two of the princes' lives. Besides, Aero had always believed her stories. The four kingdoms, technology, Huntsmen, Beacon. They had always been real to him and now here they were, staring him in the face.

Suddenly, someone else was literally staring him in the face. A tall, green haired man with glasses had appeared directly in front of Aero, causing him to jump back a bit in shock. He had some kind of cup in his hand and took a swig of whatever drink it was before speaking.

"Sorry to scare you, young man," he said. "I was heading down here to meet you myself on this splendid morning when I spotted you standing here, noticeably out of the bed I expected you to be in. Seeing it as a perfect opportunity to make an acquaintanceship, what with the lack of any other people nearby, I came over here as quickly as I could."

"Um, hello. Mister..." Aero was taken aback by how quickly the man was speaking, but he tried to make a polite first impression on him.

"Oobleck. Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck. Professor of History here at Beacon." He moved in a blur and sat down on the bench behind Aero, who had to admit his astonishment at the man's speed. He might even put Summer to shame.

"Well," he continued. "Come. Sit. We have much to discuss." Aero walked over and took a seat next to the professor. "I assume I am correct in identifying you as our school's newest guest."

"Yes. I am Aero, Son of Halos. Though, just Aero is fine. It's nice to meet you, Dr. Oobleck."

"It is nice to make your acquaintance as well, Aero. If you don't mind, I would like to ask you some questions." Aero sunk back a bit. The day before, he had been willing to share his story with strangers, but two of those strangers were Summer's daughters. He wasn't sure how he felt about sharing information with the professor, though he did seem nice enough.

"What kind of questions?"

"Nothing too personal, I hope." The man's speech had changed from his fast paced diction to a more solemn tone. "Young man, given my area of expertise, I have been informed by Professor Ozpin of your... situation. While I must admit I to am skeptical of your story, I wished to meet you in person before deciding whether I believed you or not. I hope you understand my caution."

"Of course," said Aero. "I can still remember how it was when Summer first told us where she had come from. No one had ever heard of such of thing, even with..." Aero stopped himself from mentioning the Shards. Even though he suspected no one in this time knew what they were capable of, he didn't want to risk revealing their secrets to the wrong people.

"Even with what?"

"Even with... our standards of normal. Life was always hectic for us in both good and bad ways."

"Hmm," said the man as he pondered Aero's words. "Aero, I was informed that the place you come from is called Totum. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And where exactly is this nation?" Aero thought about his answer.

"Here," he said nonchalantly.

"Here?"

"Here. Or at least it was."

"Aero," said Oobleck with a confused look, "do you know where Vale is?"

"Of course," said Aero. "It's a kingdom located on the eastern side of Vytal. It's where Summer came from."

"And you said it was... here? As in our current location?" Aero looked at the man with a smile.

"Here. There," he said pointing to the east. "There," with his thumb pointing behind him without looking. "Everywhere. There wasn't a place in the world that wasn't a part of Totum."

"Young man!" Oobleck jumped from his seat and put his hands on both sides of Aero's face, squishing the boy's cheeks. "Are you saying that, when your kingdom existed, it had conquered every known land throughout the world?!"

"Uhh, yesh," said Aero with his face crushed. The professor immediately let go of him and started spinning in circles as he moved all over the courtyard, yelling the whole time.

"Amazing! Such a discovery about ancient civilizations has been thought an impossibility in the historical community for decades, but such an all encompassing nation would explain the relationship between the known relics relating to Totum that have been scattered throughout the world, as well as offering insight into the early formation of our current kingdoms, the knowledge of which has been thought lost to the onslaught of time! Aero!" He suddenly appeared right in front of Aero's face once again. "Please. Tell me everything."

Aero lowered his head and thought about what had just been asked of him, but Professor Oobleck spoke before he had the chance.

"I... I am sorry, Aero," said Oobleck. "In my pursuit of knowledge, I sometimes become a bit _too_ exuberant. I hope you can forgive my rude behavior." Aero smiled a bit.

"It's perfectly alright, professor. Personally, I'm honored that someone here has a genuine want to know about my home. The way Summer described it," he said in a lower tone, "we'd all been forgotten."

"I'm afraid part of that is true, my friend. The history of your nation has almost been lost to us, save for a few scavenged relics, but that is why I want to hear what you have to say. You may be the key to unlocking secrets of this world long forgotten." Aero reached up and rubbed Beta.

 _You have no idea._ Then Aero had a thought.

"Professor," he said with a seriousness in his voice.

"Yes?" Aero raised his head and toward the sun, thinking back to how he wondered how many times it had danced it's dance across the sky.

"I will gladly answer any questions I feel comfortable answering, but please realize this:," he said in an almost sad sounding voice, "to you this is ancient history, but, to me... it's the only life I've ever known." He felt a hand on his shoulder once he finished.

"Of course," he said with a smile that Aero happily returned.

"So," said Aero, "what do you want to start with?"

"Just whatever you consider the basics today," said Oobleck. "I'm sure there's more information hidden in that brain of yours than could be revealed in a single morning."

From there, Aero explained to the professor the basics of Totum. It was, seeing as how there was no competition, the largest and most powerful of nation in it's time. In it's early years, it was ruled by a single absolute monarch. His rule was one of cruelty and oppression. Though the world was unified under his crest, it suffered under his power.

"This tyrant," said Oobleck who was rapidly poking a glowing piece of metal with a black rod, "were you related?" His face immediately dropped upon realizing he had asked something so personal. "I must apologize again. I was under the impression you claimed to be a prince, so... I was just assuming that... you know, just forget that question."

"No, it's fine. Really. Yes, the first king of Totum was my grandfather, Egil. He was succeeded by my father, Halos. The transition wasn't easy, but I'd rather not talk about that right now." Aero knew, of course, about the conflict between Egil and Halos, how the Shards were formed and how the world changed forever. After all, it was the story of his birthday.

The two continued on like that for over an hour. Aero reserved the right to withhold personal information about him and his family, making some parts of his story difficult to explain, but he was more than happy to answer Oobleck's questions. From it's laws to traditions to favorite pastimes, Aero revealed his world and, even if just a little bit, he felt like he was bringing it back.

-x-

Ruby hummed a tune to herself as the rest of her team, along with Team JNPR, made their way to the medical wing. After hearing about him yesterday, and after listening to Nora _repeatedly_ insisting it, they decided to join Team RWBY when they went to go visit the new arrival. Weiss had messaged Neptune to ask if the other members of SSSN wanted to come, but there had been no answer. No one was surprised though. Those boys liked to sleep until noon.

"I'm glad we're finally getting to meet the new guy," said Nora as she skipped along next to Ren.

"Yeah," said Jaune, "but are you sure it's okay if we're here?"

"I told you it's fine," said Ruby, "and I'm sure you guys are gonna like him."

"Yeah," said Weiss. Ruby already knew where this was going. "After all, Ruby already..." The heiress' sentence was cut off by the sound of a dust round loading inside of Crescent Rose's gun form. Ruby continued to hum her little song with a smile, not even looking back at her partner, as she casually put her sniper rifle back on it's clip.

 _That should stop her for a while._

The group continued on until finally reaching their destination. They walked into Aero's room, only to find that the room was unoccupied. Ruby stepped out into the hall and flagged down a passing nurse.

"Excuse us. Where's the boy who was here yesterday?"

"He was discharged about an hour ago," said the nurse. "We couldn't believe the recovery speed on his injuries, but, physically, he was fine. He left just after that with Dr. Oobleck. They said they were going to his office." Ruby thanked the nurse and they all started the trek to the history room.

"Why do you think the doc went to see him," asked Yang.

"If what Aero said was true," said Blake, "then Professor Oobleck would probably be who Ozpin would ask to verify the details."

"I can't believe we're going to class on a Sunday." Nora had stopped her skipping and was hunched over with a pout on her face.

"Weren't you the one who wanted to see him the most," said Ren.

"Well," said Weiss, "technically it's Ruby who..." The snow queen was again cut off by the sound of a glocking sniper-scythe, as well a golden flash from their brawler's hair. The sisters were having none of that today.

As they approached the classroom, Ruby thought back to how what had happened the day before. She remembered the emotions she saw on Aero's face when he told his story, the fear and the sadness. She hadn't thought about it before now, but she couldn't imagine what he was going through. The dread of being in such a new place must have been terrible. Who could imagine the internal torment he was going through at that very moment?! To make matters worse, she heard a scream coming from Oobleck's office when they finally made it. The worry she had reached it's peak and the hooded girl darted into the classroom.

"Aero!" Ruby shouted his name and looked into the room to see... to see...!

...

... to see the blonde boy spinning himself on a wheely chair, laughing his head off and screaming "This is the greatest thing of all time!" She stood there staring at the scene in front of her, unable to think or move from the spot she was in, when the chair leaned to the side and Aero was thrown off. He bumped his head on the first step leading to the door and Ruby ran down to check on him. She stood over him when he opened his eyes with a groan and smiled.

"Hey, Ruby." he said. "I didn't crash into you this time." He laughed and jumped up onto his feet, still a little wobbly from spinning around, and reached out to the nearest thing he could reach to keep from falling over. In the moment, said thing was Ruby, who was pleading silently in her head.

 _Please don't fall on me. Please don't fall me. Weiss would never let it end if you fell on me. Please don't fall on me._ Luckily for the girl, Aero placed his hand on her shoulder and steadied himself.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I guess I got a little carried away." Ruby was still thinking about the teasing nightmare she'd almost fallen into so it took a moment for Aero's words to register.

"Huh," she said, coming out of her daze. "Oh, uh, it's okay." She was doing everything in her power to not show her embarrassment, but that was just making the feeling worse, especially when she could feel the smirk on Weiss' face behind her.

She didn't need to see it. She knew it was there.

"Ah," said a man's voice. "Good to see you, students. We were just taking a break from delving into Remnant's long forgotten past when young Aero here discovered what he called "one of the greatest inventions the world had ever seen."" Ruby turned to see Dr. Oobleck at his desk, standing over the pair of swords Aero had on the night he appeared.

"It still doesn't hold a candle to air conditioning or indoor plumbing," said Aero, "but I still think it's impressive." The boy picked up the chair and walked over to Oobleck's desk. He was wearing the same silver robes he arrived in, though the cuts in them had been mended and the whole ensemble was far cleaner and noticeably less covered in blood than Ruby remembered. They still looked weird and out of place though, even by her friend's standards of fashion.

Speaking of her friends, Ruby noticed that everyone had made their way down from the entryway to the lowest level of the classroom. They were standing uneasily, like they didn't know how to respond to what they'd just seen. Except for Nora, who was barely contain her excitement. She was no doubt thinking about spinning around herself.

Taking the initiative, Ruby spoke up.

"Uh, Aero," she said, getting his attention. "I'd like you to meet some of my friends." There was a moment of silence before Yang elbowed Jaune in the side. He grunted from the impact, but he got the message.

"Hi," he said with a little pain in his voice. "I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." He reached out his hand Aero. The new boy looked at Jaune with a confused look on his face. "Uh, it's a handshake." Aero's face lit up with a look of recognition, followed by an embarrassed smile, and the two blondes shook hands.

"Sorry," said Aero. "I've never actually had a real handshake before." There was a bit of an awkward silence before Pyrrha spoke.

"I'm Pyrrha Nikos," said the red haired girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And a pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha." The boy looked at the redhead for a moment, almost like he was analyzing her. Ruby didn't know why, but she had a weird feeling in her chest when he did that, but he spoke up again before she had time to think about it. "By any chance, do you know if you have an ancestor named Quinn, Daughter of Flint?"

"I...," said Pyrhha, obviously taken aback by the question, "I'm afraid I don't know." Aero stopped and thought for a moment before shrugging it off.

"That's okay. Thank you for answering." He smiled before walking in front of Ren.

"I am Lie Ren," the ethnic boy said while putting his fist to his palm and bowing. Aero, seemingly more comfortable with this welcome, smiled and returned the gesture. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Nora materializing between the two, unable to hold in her excitement anymore.

"Hi! My name's Nora Valkyrie and I've wanted to meet you since forever! Well, more like since yesterday at breakfast but that still feels like forever at this point. I mean, when you're waiting between meals, _everything_ feels like an eternity. That reminds me, is it true you said you're from the past because that would be sooooo cool! Like, I could tell you the lottery numbers from today and you could use them yesterday! Wait. That wouldn't work. You're here already. What was I thinking? Either way, it'd still be awesome! Do you think you could help me with my history assignments sometime?"

Aero looked at Nora with wide eyes. Ruby could practically see the gears in his mind trying to keep up with the orange haired girl's constant stream of words. He shook his head to recompose himself before answering.

"It's nice to meet you, Nora, and, as crazy as it sounds, yes. I am from the past."

"Yes!" Nora pumped leaped in the air from excitement. "My grade is totally saved!"

"Actually, Ms. Valkyrie," said Professor Oobleck, "I don't believe our new friend will be able to help you very much with my final. It seems he knows far less about the history of our world than even Mr. Arc." Nora looked at Aero with a horrified, pleading look, to which Aero simply shrugged. The girl walked over to her partner and sobbed into his shoulder.

"My grades aren't that bad," Ruby heard Jaune mumble to himself. She turned and looked at the pair of swords on Oobleck's desk. Feeling her inner weapons dork stirring inside her, she snuck her way over to get a closer look. She looked over the shining pieces of metal, identical swords with two blades each coming from the hilt, with the glee she always got upon seeing new weapons. She was about to reach out and touch one of them, when she heard a voice beside her.

"Checking out the merchandise?" She jumped back a bit at the sound of the voice over her shoulder. Aero was standing next to her and let out a little laugh at the hooded girl's reaction. She felt a little warmth in her cheeks, partly because of her jump, but mostly out of fear that Weiss had heard his innocent, but poor choice of words.

"Yeah," said, "I just get a little excited when it comes to stabby things."

 _Stabby things? STABBY THINGS?! Why in the world did I say that?! I sounded like a freak._

Apparently unfazed by her psychotic sounding comment, Aero picked up one of the swords and handed it to Ruby, who took it after only a moments hesitation. She was surprised at how light the blade really was. Ruby knew that size didn't always mean weight, especially with her own weapon of choice being, as someone once put it, an "over sized gardening tool," but she still felt like she was holding nothing more than a small dagger.

"Is it true," she said softly, trying to maintain her composure, "that this is made of Adamantine?" Aero nodded.

"So," he said, "you've heard of the metal.

"I've always wanted to find some," said Ruby, "but it's so rare. Where'd you get the materials to make this?" Aero was about to speak when he stopped. He looked to the side before speaking again.

"The family that runs the forge we use are experts in the stuff. I got the metal from them and they helped me make them." Ruby was almost at her breaking point when he said he knew how to make things with the metal. If they ever got the chance, maybe she could convince him to help her upgrade her own weapon. She was about to speak up again, when Oobleck interrupted.

"Actually, everyone," he said, "it's a good thing you showed up when you did. Professor Ozpin asked me to show Aero here around the academy, but I believe it may be better for him to see the school from a... student perspective. Would that be alright with you all?"

"Uh...," said Yang.

"Perfect," said the caffeine obsessed man as he darted to the door. "I have some other business to attend to at the moment, but Aero," he said, looking at the boy, "feel free to stop by my office at anytime. It would be my pleasure to speak to you again when you feel ready." Ruby was't sure what he meant by that last part, but she saw Aero nod to the professor, who darted out the door.

"So," said Blake, "it looks like we're on tour duty."

"Where should we go first," asked Pyrrha.

"How about the cafeteria? I'm starving." Nora finally stopped sobbing into Ren's now wet shoulder at the thought of food.

"Lead the way then," Aero said. The group made their way up the steps and out the door when Ruby heard the voice of her albino teammate whisper in her ear.

"Checking out the merchandise," she said smugly.

"Shut up."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Today has been a fun one for me. I got hired to work where my uncle's a manager and it's my first job! Now, I won't start for a little bit so I'll try to post as much as I can before then. After that, expect slightly longer delays, especially because school will start soon. Don't worry though. I'll still post as soon as I can. Until then, please favorite and comment your opinions, questions and ideas.**

 **P.S. I have the next chapter planned out pretty well in my head. Let's just say, Aero doesn't know how strong coffee can be ;)**

General Ironwood was everything you expected in a military leader. He was strong, cunning and completely loyal to the people of Remnant, especially those in his home kingdom of Atlas. Though he had never lead troops into an actual conflict with a warring kingdom, there was no person in the world who wouldn't count the general as a worthy opponent should the nations come to blows. The general was well aware of the standard he had set and expected those beneath him, both his students and his troops, to live up to it. That was why his current situation left him a bit... unamused.

"So," he said to the men standing in front of his desk, "what you're telling me is that your entire base was overrun... by a single child."

"Well," said the oldest of the troops with a thick accent, "I wouldn't exactly call him kid. He was more like a... a..."

"Psychic ninja of twirling death and destruction," said the man with light blue trim.

"I was gonna say unfeeling, telekinetic devil-spawn of pain and desolation, but that works too."

Now, rarely did any news make it's way all the way up to Ironwood. He had more than enough problems on his hands, including, but not limited to, the unknown syndicate plotting against Remnant, the still uncooperative Roman Torchwick and the matter of Ozpin, which he was still fighting himself over. Still, the story of a half-dead boy being able to take one of his bases, even defeating 3 Knights and a Paladin in the process, was simply to suspicious to ignore. It was then that one more soldier, a noticeably bulkier man with dark blue trim, walked into the room.

"Sorry I'm late, guys," he said. "I really had to go to the bathroom after the trip here. You know the bathrooms here in Vale are very nice. The one back home just flushes into the ocean, which is right next to the bathroom, so..."

"Okay. We get it," said the overweight, orange one. "Pardon our friend's stupidity, sir. He's always like this. Just last week, we were out of salt at the base, so he poured a bucket of seawater onto his eggs at breakfast.

"It did taste salty after that."

"Caboose," said the maroon one, "you ate a live jellyfish."

"Yeah. I probably should have put in on my toast."

Ironwood, at complete loss of what to do in response to what he had just heard, decided to force the meeting along, if just to end it sooner.

"All things considered," the general said, "I think you performed tactfully. You recognized your opponent outmatched you and you retreated. I've even been informed you protected the nearby village you fled to from an attacking group of Deathworms. You even did so casualty free. Well done."

"Why thank you, General," said the man with the gruff accent. "I'm glad my top-notch leadership skills could inspire my men to give their lives in protection of the people."

"Top-notch?"

"Leadership?"

"Skills?!"

"Could!"

"Yes siree," he said with a laugh. "My men sure do like to joke."

"I see," said Ironwood, "Sergeant... uh..."

"Sarge."

There was a moment of silence.

"Sergeant...Sarge?"

"Yes," the officer deadpanned.

More silence.

...

"Um," said said the one called Caboose, "Mr. Wood, sir, when are we going home?"

"Well, umm," said Ironwood, in a daze from a weird feeling he had never felt before, the feeling of being both the unluckiest, but also smartest man alive, "we... we've sent a team to investigate the base, but, seeing as how that base serves almost no purpose anymore, we've opted to reassign your squad to another location. You'll be briefed on your new assignment later."

"Can we bring Shelia," asked Caboose.

"Who is this... Sheila?"

"She's our tank" said the one with pink highlights.

"You named... your tank?"

"She's my girlfriend!"

...

...

...

"That will be all, gentlemen." It took a few seconds for Ironwood's brain to rewire itself enough to form that sentence.

"It's been a pleasure, General," said Sarge. "If you ever need me, or for some reason these yahoos, just send the word."

"I'll do that, sergeant," he said as the men left the room. The moment the door closed, Ironwood took out his flask, downed all its contents in one gulp and let his head slam onto the desk in front of him. The mysterious boy could wait. At the moment, his only question was how much alcohol it would take to forget that meeting.

-x-

"And that just about does it," said Nora as they walked out the school's entrance. "Now that we've concluded our tour, are there any questions?"

"More than you know, Nora," said Aero. "More than you know."

 _Same goes for me._

Yang had been mostly silent throughout Aero's tour of Beacon. Nora had crowned herself "Queen of the Tour Group" and lead them on their little expedition, telling stories of various things they had done in their first year. Her favorite by far was the story of the infamous RvJ food fight, though she altered the ending, with her coming out on top. Ren immediately corrected her.

"Is there any place you'd like to visit again," asked Pyrrha.

"Not right now," said Aero. "I do want to practice in that combat room with you guys later, if you don't mind. I want to see how today's protectors compare to yesterday's."

After spending time observing him on their tour, Yang wasn't sure whether Aero was really from a different age or just very, _very_ stupid. Well, maybe stupid wasn't the right word. He acted like a mix between a tourist and a toddler, in that he looked at everything with a bit of wonder in his eyes, but almost no information in his head. When they stopped at a water fountain, he wouldn't stop asking questions about how the water shot out. In front of one of the holoscreens, his face lost all color at the sudden appearance of a "ghost." During lunch, he tried a bite of almost everything, claiming he had never seen any of it before. What kind of kid hasn't had pizza?!

He did know the names of some things, however, like the red strawberries that Ruby happily shared with him, a scene that had replayed in Yang's head a thousand times over. She looked over to see the group talking and, if she didn't know any better, she could've sworn she saw Ruby moving closer to the boy.

That was one thing that was really bugging Yang. She had always been protective of her little sister and was liable to destroy any boy who tried to get close to her, but that was the weird thing: Aero didn't seem interested in her at all, while Ruby had this air of embarrassment around her when he was near. Sure, they talked about things on the tour and Aero seemed nice and respectful, but he himself never gave off any sense but that of an innocence to the world around him. This stirred a bit of conflict in Yang. On one hand, if Ruby really had developed an unrequited crush for the boy, Yang was sure to both comfort her sister and punish Aero for breaking her heart. On the other hand, if Aero did have any thoughts about Ruby, she'd give him the same treatment.

Either way, that boy was gonna get a beating.

"Yang." The girl was brought out of her trance at the sound of her little sister's voice.

"Uh," said the blonde, "what?"

"You looked like you were zoning out for a second there. Are you alright?" Yang sighed.

"Yeah, Rubes. I'm fine. It's just," she leaned and whispered, "I just want to ask him some questions. You know?"

Ruby nodded in agreement.

"I know. We just haven't had a chance yet. We'll ask him in a little bit." Her sisters words gave some comfort to Yang. Maybe Ruby's interest in the boy was the same drive for answers she had, only shown in a different way.

The two looked at the swordsman, still standing out in his strange clothing, something they had heard more than a few passing students mumble about. Yang prided herself on her appearance and had even opted to change her ensemble recently with the rest of her team. So, if he was staying with them, they'd definitely have to get him a new outfit.

Yang then had a thought.

"Aero," Yang said for the first time on their tour, causing the two teams to look at her in surprise, "I've got a question." She could see Aero's face change after hearing her words. He lost part of his almost childlike demeanor and now wore a slightly more serious and worried expression, giving Yang a glimpse into what was hiding beneath the surface.

"Sure, Yang," he said. "What is it?"

"We're are you staying tonight?" At that, Aero's face lost all serious and quickly gained a comedic look of shock and despair. He stayed that way for a moment, before putting on a smile and rubbing the back of his head.

"Truth be told, I have no idea." He deadpanned the latter part of his sentence, making the rest of the group look like they were about collapse at the boy's response. Yang put on a smirk and started walking back into the school. Ruby called out to her a moment later.

"Yang? Where are you going?"

"Ozpin's," she causally said. "If he needs a room, that's where we'll need to go to ask about it."

"Sound's good to me," Yang heard Aero say. "Thanks for the tour, everyone. Nora, thank you for leading it. Until we meet again." Yang looked back to see the boy bowing to JNPR and heading her direction, followed closely behind by the rest of Team RWBY.

The group waked the hallways and eventually came to the elevator leading to Ozpin's office. Once entering the small metal room, Aero immediately held on tightly to the metal bars on the edge, giving Yang a sense of satisfaction upon seeing the fellow blonde's slight fear.

"Scared of heights," asked Yang sarcastically.

"Heights I can handle," said Aero. "It's... something else."

"Falling? Or maybe, suddenly _not_ falling?"

The boy looked up at the metal ceiling.

"Something like that."

The group made their way up to Ozpin's office. Aero was the first to rush out the door and, upon entering the room, Yang could physically see his excited curiosity fill him again. He was staring at the clock tower parts like a kid seeing a wind up toy move for the first time. She turned her gaze from the blonde haired boy to the white haired man sitting at his desk on the other side of the room.

"Hello, RWBY and friend," said Ozpin. "I expected I would see you soon. How did the tour go?"

"It was incredible," said Aero. "No story could compare to what it's like to actually see this place."

"I'm glad you found my school so enjoyable," said Ozpin with a smile. "Now tell me: what is it that has brought you all here today?"

"Well, it occurred to us that I'm technically homeless right now."

"And?"

" _And,_ " said Yang, "we were hoping to get Aero here a place to stay." As she said this, she stepped back behind her friends, pointed at Aero with one hand, waved her other hand over her team, put the two fingers close together and moved them apart. Though she was slightly less wary of Aero after seeing him today, she still didn't want him to be around them. Especially Ruby. She hoped Ozpin had picked up on her hint.

Ozpin pulled up a screen in front of him and scrolled down through a list.

"It's certainly unusual to have anyone move into the dorms at this point in the year, but I wouldn't feel right forcing you out onto the streets. Unless I had to, of course." The professor hummed a small chuckle to himself. Yang still didn't get his sense of humor.

"It seems we have one room you may like. It just down the hall from Team RWBY's room.

 _Of course it is._

"That sounds fine to me," said Aero.

 _Of course it does._

"So," said Ozpin, "will that be all, or is there anything else you'd like to discuss." The headmaster turned his attention to Aero, who looked nervously down to his side, avoiding all eye contact. It took a moment before he spoke.

"Not now," he said, before putting on a small smile. "Dr. Oobleck wore me out today."

"He does have that effect on people," said Blake.

"You should meet Professor Port, Aero," said Weiss. "He'll teach you a whole new meaning of drowsy." The girls shared a little laugh with each other as Aero scratched his head in confusion.

"If that is all," said Ozpin as he handed Aero an old fashioned key, "you may go see your room now. It's down your hallway going south, on the right of the door to the roof."

"Thank you, sir," said Aero. The group started to walk to the elevator when Ozpin spoke again.

"Actually," said the headmaster, causing the group to stop and turn around to face him, "Ms. Xiao Long, could you stay another moment?" Yang looked to Ruby, who nodded at her and walked to the elevator with the others.

"We'll head back to the room. See you there, sis." The door closed just as the door closed, leaving the brawler alone to speak with her headmaster.

"Yang," he said, "how have you been feeling?"

"Fine," she said. "I've been feeling a little hot now that it's summer, but hey, the heat never bothered me anyway." Ozpin laced his fingers together leaned forward on the table.

"You know that isn't what I meant."

Yeah. Yang knew. She knew exactly what he was referring too. She had just hoped he was allow her to let it slide, like he always seemed to do. Apparently, there were exceptions to even that rule.

"I don't trust him."

"Trust is something that is earned, Yang. The real question is: do you believe him?"

Yang clenched her fist when the professor finished speaking. She felt her anger, her greatest line of defense, rising within her. Of course she didn't believe him. How could she? He still sounded crazy, but she did admit that Ruby was right. He sounded genuine. The more she thought about it, the harder it became for Yang to convince herself the boy was lying. He didn't even seem crazy. Instead, it was like he simply didn't know about the world.

"I... I don't know. Something sure is weird though."

She looked Ozpin in the eye.

"Do you believe him?"

Ozpin closed his eyes and answered.

"At the moment, I am inclined to trust that our friend is telling the truth."

Yang felt a piece of herself start to snap.

"From what Professor Oobleck reported, he seems to have next to no common knowledge about our world. He knows our language, but, just because he recognizes a word, doesn't mean he knows what it is."

Yang clenched her fists tighter, trying to deny that she had seen the same confusion on Aero's face earlier.

"Further more, it appears the kingdom he spoke of, Totum, may be more than simply a fairy tale. There are a few findings suggesting it's existence, though most are well over two millennia old.

Yang felt like she was about to explode, when Ozpin placed a box in front of her. It was the kind of box used when people gave clothes as presents and felt very light when Yang picked it up and shook it.

"What's in this?"

Ozpin's expression saddened.

"Hopefully not too much." Yang was about to open it when Ozpin reached out his hand to stop her.

"It would probably better to open that with Ruby. Just Ruby."

Yang turned and walked to the door like it was urgent. She was fed up with hearing Ozpin speak. She'd had enough of people saying "Maybe he's right" or "give him a chance." Stepping into the elevator, she expected to her Ozpin's voice calling her back, but it never came. As the doors finally closed, she looked at the box in her hand and threw it at the wall.

 _It's not possible. He's just insane. Who does he think he is, telling us that crap? He isn't from the past, nothing he says is true and he doesn't know anything about..._

Yang was distracted from her rant when she saw the contents of the box fall out on the floor. She bent over and picked up what had fallen out, holding it out in front of her.

 _No. Please. Whoever's listening, please! Don't let it be true. Anything. Anything else. Please! Just not this._

Yang had believed her sister when she said he had it, but in that moment, holding it, Yang realized just how much she wanted Aero to be lying, but, even more than that, how much she wanted him to be telling the truth. Feeling overwhelmed, Yang did the only thing she could think of.

She sat down with her back on the wall, lowered her head and held the white piece of fabric closely to her chest.

 _Mom._

-x-

"Do you think Yang will take long," asked Ruby.

"I'm sure she'll be here in a minute," said Blake. "Knowing Ozpin, he'll try to keep things brief."

It was getting dark by the time Ruby and Co. had made their way back to the dorms. They were walking past their own room when Team JNPR's door opened on the other side of the hallway. Out stepped Jaune holding something that looked white blue and furry. Upon seeing the group, he quickly hid what he was holding behind his back and gave a nervous smile.

"Hey, guys," said Jaune. "What, uh... what are you guy's doing?" The whole group, save Aero, looked at Jaune with a raised eyebrow.

"We know what you wear to bed, Jaune," said Ruby. "You don't have to hide your bunny suit from us." She was barely able to hold back a laugh as she said the last part of that sentence, as did the rest of the girls.

"Hey," he said defensively, "I'll have you know my pajama's are extremely comfortable."

"They also have wittle bunny ears on the bottom," said Weiss in her "Zwei-did-something-cute" voice. With that, the laughter started again.

"Whatever. I'm headed to the showers."

"Actually," said Ruby, "Aero's room is right by there, so we're heading that way too."

Jaune's face changed to...

 _No. No. No. No! NO! NO!_

"And here I was under the impression he was gonna be sleeping in your bed, Ruby."

"Jaune!" He, Weiss and even Blake then broke out laughing. Ruby was red from both anger and embarrassment, as well as seriously considering reminding them just why Ozpin moved her ahead, when she heard a voice behind her.

"Ruby."

"AHH!," she shouted. "Aero I'm sorry I mean they should be sorry I mean it was just a mean joke and in no way did I ever in think about that they've just been teasing me but I don't think about that stuff especially not with you not that I that I don't think you're no I mean we just met and..."

"Ruby."

"Yes," she said in very quiet voice.

"I just walked down the hall to that window and it doesn't look like rain. What did Jaune mean when he said "Shower?""

...

Ruby couldn't tell who was more red: her from her embarrassment or her friends rolling on the ground from not being able to breath. It was then that the door to Team JNPR's room opened and an angry looking girl wearing a "Boop" t-shirt.

"COULD YOU KEEP IT DOWN OUT HERE?! SOME OF US HAVE HISTORY TESTS TO STUDY FOR!" The laughter immediately stopped and the happy smiles quickly turned to horrified faces. Nora slammed the door and returned to her work, the thought of which was even more terrifying than her anger.

"Wait," said Weiss, breaking out her terrified shell, "did you say you didn't know what a shower is?"

"Yep."

"So, you do know?"

"No."

"Aero."

"Yes?"

"When was the last time you had a bath?" Aero crossed his arms and bit his lip.

"Two, maybe three thousand years ago."

"Uh huh." Ruby then watched her partner grab both Aero and Jaune by the ear, causing the two to scream, drag them down the hall and throw them into the dorm's boy's bathroom, closing the door behind them.

"Teach him what to do, Jaune. And he better be spotless!"

"WHAT?!," Jaune shouted through the door.

"Uh, Weiss," said Ruby.

"What," said the Ice Queen. "He has to take a shower but doesn't even know what it is. I'm sure Jaune will teach him."

"Unless," said Blake, wearing an expression Ruby now immediately recognized, "you want to go show hi..."  
"That's it," said Ruby, throwing her hands up and walking away. "Zwei is sleeping in Blake's bunk tonight."

"Wait," they both shouted, running after her. Ruby couldn't help but smile. Revenge was always sweet.

-x-

Yang was standing on the end of the long terrace at the edge of Beacon's campus. It was almost dusk, but almost no stars were visible across the violet sky. That was one thing Yang didn't like about the city. No matter how much she loved the urban jungle, she always wished she could see the stars shine at night, just like they did over Patch.

Looking down from the sky, Yang turned her attention to what Ozpin had... no,... what Aero had brought with him when he arrived. She knew her friends were probably wondering where she was at this point, but she felt like she needed to overcome the bitterweet feeling of having Summer Rose's hood in her hands first.

Yang thought it was kind of funny. She had given up hope that Summer was alive long ago, yet here she was holding her hood that was delivered by a boy who said that not only was she alive, but that she had been in the somewhere in the ancient past all along. That, and he didn't know where she was now. Part of her was overjoyed at the possibility of her mother being alive, but another part of her, a part that gave her some peace, was broken. At least when Summer was dead, she didn't have to go through the heartbreak of another painful search.

 _I should be happy though!_

 _..._

 _Right?_

Yang turned back to the city and, far in the distance, she could see it. In her mind's eye, she could see the altar on the cliff side, the monument to Summer Rose's memory and the reminder of her disappearance. She looked down at the hood and could almost see her there, floating on the impromptu gravestone like a ghost.

 _Mom..._

 _Where are you?_


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. I just haven't had as much time to write this week as I'd have liked. The good news is I'm probably gonna buy my new computer this weekend so it'll be much easier for me to type. As always, be sure to follow if you want more of this story and comment with your thoughts, opinions and ideas. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Also, if you were hoping for more of Ruby getting teased in this chapter, I'm sorry to disappoint. Ruby will not be teased. I repeat. RUBY will not be teased.**

The two wooden swords clashed in the air, filling the practice room with a dull thud. Aero pushed tried to push his way through the lock, but Dunden took a small step back, letting the force of Aero's push go forward and causing him to lose his footing. The black haired boy swung toward the blonde's side, trying to end the match with another win. It would've been over, but Aero quickly beat the wooden weapon away before back stepping away from his opponent.

The two boys were wearing sparring armor and helmets, which kept the two from seeing each other's faces. Acrose told them not being able to see your enemies eyes was like fighting blind. Seeing where they were looking told you were they would try to strike, but he also said the boys, Aero mostly, needed to build up the reflex needed notice the smallest changes in stances and styles. Giving up one second of response time could be the same as giving up your life.

The boys charged at each other again, both using the most basic form of sword fighting: keep the sword in front of you as much as possible, block your enemy's attack and go for the kill. Fundamentals were important.

After a few quick blows, Dunden changed tactics and tried dancing around Aero, but the blonde managed to match him step per step. Knowing he need an edge and fast, Aero decided on a risky move. He stopped one of Dunden's downward slashes with a horizontal block and pushed off like he was trying to knock him back. Dunden's weight shifted forward, anticipating the attack, when Aero switched his grip from forward to reverse. Now, instead of acting against Aero's push, the force of Dunden's blade was acting like point of rotation, around which Aero was hoping to find an opening at the back of his neck.

He almost found it to, before Dunden ducked below Aero's awkwardly angled attack, spun on the sole of his foot and jabbed his weapon forward, making contact right over Aero's heart. Knowing who had won, the two boys stepped away from each other, removed their helmets and bowed.

"Well done you two." Both boys turned to see their instructor, a bulky, dark skinned, scarlet eyed man in black and red armor, walking toward them. "Dunden, congratulations on another victory. Aero, good usage of changing your attack, but make sure you pay attention to your opponents footing. Dunden had already planted his foot before you even made your move."

Aero lowered his head. They had already sparred 9 times that day and Aero had only won the 3rd and 5th matches. He felt disappointed in himself, but then felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Dunden looking him at him with an amount expression so small, only someone who had known him for years would be able to notice it.

 _You don't need to feel disappointed. You did well._

 _You did better._

"Overall," said Acrose with a smile, "I'd say you have both made excellent progress in your training."

"So, what's next," asked Dunden. "Are we moving on to aura?"

"Not today," Acrose said. "Tomorrow, you'll begin training to use your semblances in combat situations, but today, you can do as you wish."

"Wait," said Aero. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, young prince," he said as he walked to the door, "that you have the rest of the day to do whatever you want to do. No training. No lessons. Nothing of the sort." He reached the door and grabbed the handle, providing a quick glance at the brilliant red ring on his hand. "Today is a special day after all." The man opened the door and left the room, leaving the two boys alone.

"So," said Dunden as the two walked over the weapons rack, "what are you going to do today?" The black haired boy put his training sword down and started to remove his armor.

"Actually," said Aero, "I was thinking I might spend some more time practicing on the training dummies."

Dunden removed his chest piece and sighed.

"Aero, I told you already that you don't need to beat yourself up."

"I'm not gonna beat myself up. I'm gonna beat the dummies up." Aero chuckled to himself a bit, walked over to the poorly made wooden mannequins and started placing strikes on them.

 _What's really bothering you?_

Aero's last attack echoed through the room as he heard the voice enter his head.

 _Nothing,_ he said in response and continued to whack his fake opponent, now with less accuracy.

"Aero." This time, the voice was spoken aloud. Aero relaxed himself and turned to see Dunden standing behind him. He met his lilac eyes for a moment, before lowering his head.

"I... I heard some of the servants talking... about what happened." Aero started whacking the dummy again, now with for ferocity. "Some of the older ones said "Little Ebony wouldn't have gotten involved" and "I don't care what he says. I still think Halos must have...""

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the training room opened. In walked a woman wearing a long white hood over her red and black attire with a sword sheathed to her side. Dunden turned to see Aero's face light up almost too quickly when she entered the room. He knew what Aero was doing. The blonde was almost as good at hiding his emotions as he was.

"Hello, boys."

"Hey, Summer. What are you doing here?"

 _Aero, I don't think..._

"Well," she said with a smile, "I was coming to see if Acrose really gave you guys the rest of the day off like I asked him too. It is your guys' special day after all."

"You mean he didn't..."

"Do you really think Acrose would give anyone the day off?" Aero had to admit Summer had a point. Their instructor, no matter how friendly, was not one for relaxation.

"He might do it if Selena forced him too," Aero said.

"Oh, she did," said Summer with a gleeful smile. "So, what are you two gonna do with your new found freedom."

"I have to go report to the General," said Dunden with a completely serious tone as he walked toward the door.

"Isn't it a bit weird for you to be so formal when your talking about Risse?"

"Or anyone we know for that matter," Summer added to Aero's question.

"Not at all. Goodbye." _And we'll talk about what they said later._

With that, he was gone.

"I've known you two for almost a decade now," said Summer, "and I still don't think I've ever seen him smile."

"He does. You just have to look really, _really_ closely." The two laughed at the overly serious boy's expense before Summer spoke again.

"So, how did your morning sparring go? I'm sorry you had to come at all, by the way. You know how that man is."

"Pretty good," said Aero, not looking Summer in the eye.

 **"You lost, didn't you?"**

 **"Oh, big time,"** he said as he hung his head. **"And I thought I got out of lessons today."**

 **"I'm not the one who wanted to learn my language,"** she said with a smirk. That was how they went about their conversations. When Summer first arrived, it was always a game of charades to figure out what she was saying, but, the closer she got to Aero and the others, the more she picked up on the basics of Totum's language. The same was true the other way around, especially in Aero's case, in which he basically became a translator for Summer until she learned to speak for herself.

 **"Well, I'd say I pretty much have it down at this point."** He looked down at the wooden sword in his hand. **"Now if I could only say the same thing about this."**

 **"You know, where I was trained, we all had to forge our own weapons. If I'm not mistaken,"** she said as she patted her scabbard, **"I'd say the same is expected here."**

 **"I know. I know. It's just... I haven't decided on what I want my weapon to look like."**

 **"Well, weren't you planning on basing it off your dad's?** It was true that Aero wanted to make something similar to his father's legendary blades. That was certain, but something about the idea of his own weapon made his insides feel jittery. Summer had taught him that his weapon should be an extension of himself. He wasn't sure how to, or even if he could, pull something that important off.

 **"Yeah. It's just... I... well..."**

 **"Oooohhhh,"** she said, looking at him with an evil grin, **"I think I know what it is."**

Aero closed his eyes and tried to keep the sternest face he could, but he could still feel the blush rising in his cheeks. He knew exactly what was coming.

 **"I know exactly what your thinking, and the answer is no."**

 **"Oh?"** Her grin grew wider. **"What was I thinking then?"**

Aero's blush grew deeper as he found himself the victim of Summer, and not to mentions Zek's, favorite pastime once again.

 **"You were thinking that I wasn't going to the forge because I'm afraid of being alone with Quinn."**

 **"You're the one who said it. Not me."**

Aero's face lit up like a fire as Summer let out a laugh that echoed throughout the chamber. For years, Aero had been mercilessly teased about his supposed "relationship" with the forgemaster's daughter. It wasn't just Summer and Zek either. Everyone, even Dunden, had taken a shot at him before.

"You know," she said, switching back to Totomian, "I bet she'd _personally_ help you if you asked her too."

"First off," Aero said defensively, "I DO NOT like her like that. Second," he said as his voice and expression lowered, "she always acts like she's angry with me. There's no way she would ever agree to help me."

"The key word there is "acts," Aero."

"What do you mean?"

Summer rolled her eyes and pinched her brow, leaving the embarrassed Aero slightly confused.

...

 **"Do you think she'd really help?"** Aero's voice was quite and he refused to look Summer in the eye, but he could still hear her squee as she put her hand on his back and pushed him toward the door.

 **"Let's go find out."**

-x-

Aero awoke from his slumber as the sun made it's way over his tired eyes. Stretching himself with a yawn, the boy stepped out of his bed and looked out of his window. He could see several buildings and courtyards beneath him and what he assumed was the city of Vale in the distance. The sun was raised in the sky, signaling that Aero had overslept.

Well, maybe not. It was hard to oversleep when he had nothing to wake up too. Normally, he'd be up at dawn for training or lessons, but on those one-in-a-million days he didn't have to, he'd sleep until noon.

Based on how high the sun was, he guessed it was probably past 9:00. Ruby and the other's said they had classes beginning then so none of them would be in there dorms. He turned around and looked at his own room. Of the four beds, only two had been used. He had slept in one and threw his robes and swords on another.

Currently, he was wearing a pair of blue shorts Jaune had lent him so he'd have something to change into after Weiss forced him to take that weird waterfall bath. He changed into his robes and decided to have a walk around the campus. Anything was better than laying in his bed doing nothing.

-x-

"I would give anything to be laying in my bed doing nothing."

"There is no talking during my test, Ms. Valkyrie," said Oobleck, who didn't even look up from the book he was reading.

"Uggh." Nora slammed her head on the tabletop, knowing both she and her grade were doomed.

-x-

Aero was aimlessly walking through the halls when he heard the sound of a fight coming from the training room. Interested in what the students of Beacon were capable of, he entered the arena-like room to see if Summer's stories Beacon's Huntsmen-in-training were true.

A few rows of seats were being filled by waiting combatants, many of which were wearing different uniforms and all of which Aero did not know. He walked over to the edge of the viewing area, which was glowing with a light blue light, and looked down at the fight.

One of them, a blonde monkey faunus with a staff, jumped into the air and brought him weapon down with a whack. His opponent, a boy with dark, scarred skin and burnt orange hair, jumped out of the way and charged back at the faunus, slashing at him with the two blades attached to his arms. The faunus managed to block slash after slash, but it was painfully obvious he was being forced on the defensive. He broke his staff in two, revealing it to be a conjoined pair of nunchucks, and several loud bangs echoed through the room. The orange haired boy swung his blades in front of him, causing small sparks to fly from their edges.

 _ **So, that's what a gun is.**_

Aero could see the blonde boy's smile from where he was; it was the same kind of cocky smile Zek had whenever he thought he was about to win.

 _ **Yeah. He's gonna lose.**_

The moment Aero finished his thought, the orange haired boy dove at the faunus and grabbed his nunchucks. His smile quickly turned to fear as he was twirled in the air by his own weapons and thrown into the arena wall, earning several cheers from the audience.

"And that's the match." Aero looked down to see Professor Goodwitch enter the arena with some kind of screen in her hands.

"Isn't it a little unfair for a first year to go up against an upperclassman," said the faunus as he stood up.

"Well," said Goodwitch, "maybe you should have thought about that before _you_ picked you picked your opponent, Mr. Wukong." Several students laughed at the boy's expense, except for a group of blue, green and red haired boys, who had all smacked their foreheads.

"Now then," she continued as the boys left the arena, "our next combatant will be another member of Team CFVY: Yatsuhashi Daichi." A very tall boy stood up at the mention of his name. He wore a green robe and large, orange greatsword that looked almost as tall as the boy himself. Next to him sat a fashionable looking girl with handbag and a faunus girl with tall, rabbit ears. On his way down to the arena, he gave a high-five to the orange haired boy, who went over and took the spot where Yatsuhashi had been sitting.

"And who would you like to fight, Mr. Daichi?"

The ethnic boy looked around the room, searching for someone who peaked his interest, when his gaze suddenly fell on Aero.

"Who are you," he asked. Aero was a bit shocked and looked to his sides to see if he meant someone else. He turned to look at Yatsuhashi again and mouthed "Me?," to which the boy nodded.

"My name is Aero, Son of Halos. I'm, uh, new here."

"Aren't you the guy who stole a stretcher from the med-wing," shouted one of the students, causing a murmur among the students. Aero wore an embarrassed smile and laughed nervously upon hearing his reputation at the school.

"Would you like to fight me? You certainly seem equipped for a match." Aero didn't have time to answer before Goodwitch spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Yatsuhashi, but Aero was recently dismissed from the hospital, so I highly doubt he's fit for a fight." Aero thought for a moment and circled his right shoulder around to feel for any pain.

"Besides," she continued, "he isn't even enrolle-"

"I'll do it."

The entire room turned to the blonde haired boy.

"Aero," said Goodwitch, looking cautious, "are you sure?"

"I am." Aero made his way down to the arena floor and stood opposite of Yatsuhashi, who put his fist in his palm and bowed. Aero did the same and nodded to Goodwitch as he rose.

"Hmm," she hummed to herself. "Fine." She tapped the screen in front of her and a far larger one appeared above the arena floor. On it was a picture of Yatsuhashi across from a blank box, both of which had green rectangles below them.

"The match will follow standard dueling rules. The first combatant to knock his opponents aura into the red is the victor. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded, but Aero knew she had only explained the match for his sake.

Goodwitch raised her hand and looked between the two boys.

"Ready?"

Both boys drew their swords, though Aero had only drawn one, and readied themselves.

"Begin!"

Yatsuhashi was the first to make a move. He slashed downward at an angle that Aero blocked with his blade, only to be pushed back on the soles of his feet by the sheer force of the attack. Steadying himself, Aero darted forward toward his larger opponent.

 _ **Ok. It's just like dueling Acrose.**_

He launched a few quick jabs at his opponent, but the sword was so massive it was being used as a shield.

 _ **Greatsword. Large weapon with powerful, but imprecise strikes. Slow too.**_

Aero rolled underneath a surprisingly fast horizontal slash and kicked the giant in leg. He was trying to disrupt his stance, but Aero's attack didn't even make the leg budge.

While thinking about his next move, Aero felt the force of a backhand hit to the face knock him backward. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and saw that his gauge had turned yellow while Yatsuhashi's was still green. His opponent readied himself with his sword in front of him, waiting for Aero to make a move.

In response, Aero decided to draw his second sword and slowly circle around, planning his next attack.

 _ **He's stoic. Gripping might work, but his raw strength alone would make that difficult. I have to catch him off guard.**_

Yatsuhashi raised his sword upward, preparing to bring in down right on top of Aero.

 _ **This could work.**_

The audience gasped as Yatsuhashi brought his weapon down. Instead of trying to dodge, Aero crossed his blades in front of him and stopped the greatsword, the force of the attack causing the floor to crack. Aero looked up in satisfaction to see his opponents startled face.

 _ **I may not be stronger...**_

His arms glowed with a faint silver light.

 _ **... but I am more powerful.**_

With a yell, Aero swung his swords upward in an arc, forcing the greatsword up and causing Yatsuhashi to stagger. Aero switched his grip and dashed forward. He jumped up and did a spinning flip off his opponents face. With the momentum, Aero slashed the greatsword onto the ground and drove one of his own swords down to trap it there.

Yatsuhashi struggled, but he managed to free his sword from it's prison, causing Aero's blade to fly into the air. Unfortunately for him, this created a pefect opening for Aero to launch a blast of energy into his chest before raising his hand in the air.

The blast didn't do much damage, nor did Aero intend for it too. Yatsuhashi was stunned for a moment and made eye contact with Aero. He tried to charge at the boy, but the blonde just smirked and let his hand drop, letting the pommel of the suspended sword drop directly onto Yatsuhashi's head.

Aero moved forward to catch his falling weapon. The giant was staggering backwards and Aero could practically see the stars above is head. Wanting to put an end to the match, ran toward his opponent and slashed his swords downward in an X. The energy released from them hit his opponent square in chest, knocking him onto his back.

The room was silent for a moment, save the sound of Aero's heavy breathing.

 _ **Maybe fighting so soon wasn't such a good idea.**_

Turning to the overhead screen, Aero saw that he and Yatsuhashi's gauges were almost exactly the same. The difference? Aero's was still yellow while Yatsuhashi's had gone into the red.

"That's the match!" Goodwitch walked onto the floor, looking shocked, just like everyone else in the audience. "The winner is... Aero!"

It was silent for a moment and Aero started to worry if maybe he'd done something wrong. Then, slowly, loud applause started to break out among the students. Some students, especially a certain monkey faunus, even stood and cheered.

"Yeah," he shouted. "That's right! Take that, CFVY! Woo!" He turned to look at who Aero assumed were Yatsuhashi's teammates and continued his taunting; however, he quickly sat down with a terrified expression when the girl in the dark glasses pulled them down slightly and glared at him.

Falling on his own back in exhaustion, Aero looked closed his eyes and smiled.

 ** _I wonder what the others are up to right now._**

-x-

"WOOHOO! I'm Queen of the Classroom! I'm Queen of the Classroom!" Nora jumped and skipped her way out of Oobleck's classroom, holding a piece of paper with a big, red A+ at the top. Following behind her were her mentally exhausted teammates.

"How did she... I mean... why..."

"This is Nora, Jaune," said Ren.

"Yeah," said Jaune, looking down at his own 65. "But still..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! So, good news and bad/neutral news. The good news is I got a new computer and I've started my new job! The bad/neutral news is that, with the job and college starting Monday, I'm gonna be kept pretty busy, as I have been for the last week, which kept me from writing. So, the story will likely be updated weekly from now on. Since today is Thursday, it will likely be a Thursday event (very fitting for this fandom). Until then, be sure to follow, favorite and comment your thoughts on the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Dunden walked the halls of the castle, his mind replaying the words Aero had spoken.

 _I… I heard some of the servants talking… about what happened…_

He passed a corridor and saw two older maids speaking to each other in hushed whispers.

 _Little Ebony…_

 _Halos must have…_

The two stopped talking when they noticed the black haired boy walking by. They bowed before him, but he continued walking, pretending not to notice them. He prided himself on his ability to remain composed, even if he came off as unfeeling, but he was certainly feeling something then. The kind of feeling that came to him very rarely, but always on this day.

Dunden kept walking until he reached the throne room. The marble columns were shining in the morning light, the red carpet was laid out, butlers and maids made their way busily through the room and the stone floors echoed every step they took.

At the far end of the long room was the king's chair. When Egil was king, the throne was adorned with every manner of precious stone one could imagine, but Halos always believed it was too flashy, even for a king, and had since removed them. The seat itself was empty, however, not just devoid of gemstones. Instead of in his chair, King Halos, dressed in a white robe with a rich, purple cape, stood by one of the large open windows. Next to him stood his general and oldest son, Risse, and the two were talking to each other. Neither noticed Dunden coming up behind them, but he could hear what they were saying.

"Are you sure you've checked all security measures," asked Halos.

"I oversaw them myself," said Risse. "Guards will be stationed at key points around the city and near the head table, both in uniform and incognito. Those entering the city have all gone through several checkpoints and filled out several forms of identification."

Halos nodded to his son, but still lowered his head like he was being burdened by something. Turning his head, he perked up upon seeing Dunden and a smile spread across his face.

"Good morning, Dunden," said Halos. "How'd your morning training go?" Dunden looked up at his father's beaming smile. As opposed to Dunden's own stoic expression, Halos always welcomed those to him from the moment they saw him. His greying blonde hair reflected the morning sun's rays, causing the ends to almost appear white in the sunlight. Despite being over fifty, his blue eyes still had a spark of life that drew others to meet them. It was like catching a glimpse of what Aero would look like, years into the future.

Of course, it would be just like seeing Dunden as well, if the old king dyed his hair black.

"Aero and I sparred 9 times. He got the better of me at some points, but I still managed to win seven matches."

"Impressive," said Halos. "I suppose you've come far in your training with Risse." Dunden turned to the general, a tall, grown man in black robes with hair as black as night.

"He certainly has skill with the blade," said Risse. "If only he were that skilled when it comes to dealing with people." Halos and Risse let out a laugh while Dunden grunted under his breath.

"I assure you both, my social skills are entirely satisfactory." At this, the two men just sighed.

"Dunden," said Halos, "you need to work on your expressions. "Satisfactory" doesn't always mean "good.""

"Exactly," said Risse, "you need to smile more." Dunden only looked forward, not changing a single muscle in his face, and the two men gave resigned to dealing with Dunden's emotional wall later.

"Anyway," said Risse, "where is Aero? I know Acrose gave the two of you the rest of the day off. I thought you two might spend it celebrating together."

"I came to see if there was anything needed of me," said Dunden. "As for Aero, I last saw him in the training room speaking with Summer." Risse's face lowered a bit at the mention of their permanent house guest. He looked slightly troubled, maybe even showing a bit of disdain, but Halos didn't seem to notice.

"My king," said a butler as he approached the three and bowed, "some of the visiting dignitaries are requesting an audience with you." Halos sighed went to sit on his throne.

"You two can leave if you wish," he said. "Something tells me I'm in for several long-winded speeches right now. I'll see the two of you this afternoon." Dunden and Risse nodded and started to leave when Halos spoke up again.

"Dunden," he said, causing the boy to turn around. "If you see your brother, tell him I wish the two of you a happy birthday." Dunden looked at his father and felt a small half-smile grow on his face.

"I will. Thank you."

Halos waved with his left and only hand as the two made their way out of the busy room, listening to the "oh, so proper" voices of the visiting officials draining the enjoyment out of their king's soul. The two walked for a bit past the groups of servants until Dunden spoke up.

"Risse," he said as he stopped. His head was lowered, keeping him from seeing the high prince.

"It's rare that you call me by my name," he said. "Something must be troubling you."

"Yes. It's about something Aero told me today." It was silent for a moment. The corridor was empty and Risse waited for his pupil to speak up.

"He said… a group of servants were talking about… about what happened to mother. They said… they blamed the king for part of what happened." Dunden raised his head up to see Risse put a hand behind his back and rub his chin.

"Do you know who these people are? They sound almost treasonous."

"No. Aero didn't say. He was probably worried they would get into trouble." It was no secret that Aero had inherited their father's merciful disposition. He would be the first to help others if they needed it, but he always seemed to help those who did wrong as much as he did the victims. It would be a dark day when Aero decided to give someone the exact punishment they deserved.

"If I find out who they were, they certainly will. If Egil were still king, they would likely be executed immediately." Dunden could feel the intensity in his brother's voice. The subject of what happened thirteen years earlier may have been known by everyone in the world, but it was still their family and that made it a _very_ personal matter.

"At least we don't have to deal with that kind of punishment anymore. Grandfather really was a monster." Risse closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of what to say next.

"He may have been a monster," Risse said, "but that wasn't all he was. He was much greater than that."

"Risse," said Dunden, "what are you saying?" Dunden had always been taught that Totum suffered under his grandfather's rule. Slavery, oppression, execution for the smallest misstep. Every evil humans could imagine were commonplace during the first king's reign.

"Grandfather unified this world," said Risse. "Under his power, every warring tribe came together under a single banner. Civilization finally began to thrive."

"It wasn't his power though," said Dunden. "It was Omega's."

"Personally, I don't see the difference. The ability to wield one of those stones is almost as impressive as the stones themselves. The problem came when Egil became corrupted by his own power. He basked in his own greatness and conquered for the sake of conquering. Not once did he think about the people under him."

"And that's what made him a tyrant."

"What made him a tyrant, Dunden, was his lack of vision. We must never act needlessly when it comes to our people. Egil saw each action, both cruel and non, as a moment, not a means or an end. His world was taken because he never looked in front of him."

"Are you saying it's okay to be cruel?"

"What I'm saying," he said as he made his way down the hallway, "is that our world is fractured. We have power, but we choose not to use it." He turned back to Dunden.

"If we were to use it," he continued, "how much sooner would peace come?" With that Risse walked away, leaving Dunden alone to think about what his brother had said.

-x

Ruby was upset. Not in the "I-have-a-problem" way though. It was more in the "I-was-stuck-taking-tests-while-Aero-fought-and-beat-an-upperclassman-with-his-cool-weapons" kind of way. Right after she finished a brutal history test, everyone in the halls started talking about the newcomer taking down Yatsuhashi in the dueling arena. Needless to say, she wasn't happy she missed the fight. She crossed her arms and put on a pouty face, not paying any attention to who was in front of her.

"Ruuubbby," said Aero, surprising the oblivious Ruby and almost causing her to fall of the bench she was on. Blake, who was sitting next to her, tried to cover her laugh, but she wasn't doing too well.

"Oh, uh, hey Aero," she said with a nervous smile.

"You looked kind of upset," he said with a worried expression. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Ruby could see Weiss eyeing the two from the other side of a clothes rack, so she decided to change the topic as quickly as she could. She looked at Aero to see he was holding two shirts in his hands.

 _Perfect._

"So," she said, pointing at the shirts, "have you found something you liked?"

"Yeah," he said. "Which do you girls like better? The black or the grey?"

"I'd go with the grey. It's more your color." Ruby was surprised Yang had spoken up at all during their little shopping trip. She had come to bed really late the night before and she still seemed off, but not nearly as much as the day before. Maybe it had something to do with Ozpin giving her their mom's hood, or maybe, just maybe, she was warming up to Aero.

"Alright then," he said with a smile. "I just need one more person's approval." He looked over shoulder to see Coco and Velvet standing nearby. He held up the light grey shirt, showing he made his choice. Coco looked at it for a moment before nodding in approval.

"I still think it's weird that Team CFVY wanted to take you shopping," said Blake.

"Well, it was Coco more than anyone," said Aero. "After the match, I started talking to them and mentioned I didn't exactly have anything but my clothes and weapons when I came here. Needless to say, Coco wasn't going to stand for that."

"Did you tell them about… you know," whispered Ruby as she leaned forward.

"No," he responded. "I'm just traveling from my village." He winked at the group before walking to the changing room, causing Ruby to blush for some reason she just couldn't make out.

"You know," said Yang. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you really were interested in our new friend. I mean, just look at your face." Her sister's comment only made Ruby's face an even darker shade of red.

"I'm only like this because you guys keep teasing me," she said angrily. "It has nothing to do with anything like that.

"Uh huh," said Yang with a grin. "Sure."

"Anyway," Ruby said as she forced herself to calm down, "I thought you weren't going to start teasing me. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," she said in a lower tone. "Something like that." Ruby and Blake exchanged worried glances with each other until they heard the sound of a door opening. Looking at what was in front of them, Ruby felt the heat in her cheeks rise slowly once again.

It was the first time any of them, save Jaune (but Ruby wasn't going to think about that), had seen Aero in anything but his robes, both Totomian and medical. He was wearing the light grey t-shirt Yang had picked out and a black pair of sweats with white stripes going down the sides. On his feet were a pair of silver and grey tennis shoes and on his hands were a pair of black, fingerless gloves. He stepped out in front of them with a nervous smile that said "How do I look?"

"Hmm," hummed Weiss, who was inspecting the boy. "What do you think Coco?"

"It suits him," said Coco, "and that necklace really pulls it all together, but it may be a little plain."

"Well, I like it," said Ruby. Aero looked at the girl and smiled.

"Then I like it too," he said, widening his grin and giving Ruby one of her own.

"Alright then," said Weiss. "If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. Go change back into your robes. I'll take what you're wearing and go pay. My treat."

"Thanks Weiss. I'll pay you back."  
"With what money?" Aero rubbed the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh.

"I guess I'll have to pay you back _later_ then."

Aero changed his outfits and handed his new clothes to the white haired heiress. Seeing him back in his robes, Ruby realized just how out of place he looked. Yatsuhashi, who walked into the store with Fox, may have worn robes, but Aero's were far more regal looking, like they really were meant to be worn by an ancient prince. After purchasing Aero's new ensemble, the two teams exited the store and made their way to the docking station.

"Hey," said Aero, "I don't mean to be a freeloader…"

"Which you are," said Weiss with a mock glare.

"... but is there any place around here that sells Dust?"

"Sure," said Ruby. "There's a place right up ahead."

"You guys can handle that," said Coco. "We'll be heading back to the school. We've got plenty to pack before vacation starts."

"Oh yes," said Velvet. "Though most of it is Coco's wardrobe."

"Heaven forbid the rest of us get closet space," said Fox. "See ya, guys."

"Goodbye," said Aero. "Thanks for everything." With that, Team CFVY went on their way, but not before Yatsuhashi and Aero shared a bow.

"So," said Yang, "shall we get a move on?" The group made their way down the street that opened into a large square. Ruby looked to her side to see Aero staring at everything he passed. Cars, shops, buildings. Everything.

"What's that," he asked, looking at a nearby construction crew.

"That's a worksite," said Blake. "They're rebuilding after the Breach."

"Breach?"

"Basically," said Yang, "a bunch of bad guys blew some holes underneath Vale. A lot of Grimm came charging in before we blew their sorry butts away." Aero kept looking at the site, his expression becoming more serious at the mention of the Grimm.

"The White Fang have been pretty quiet since then too," said Blake.

"The White Fang?" Ruby saw Blake's expression tighten as well.

"They're a faunus rights group that used to rely on peaceful protest. I… I knew some people in it, but…"

"Let me guess," said Aero, "they went to extremes to achieve their ideals and that made their ideals change."

"Yes," said Blake. "Exactly. How did you know?"

"I've seen it all before," he said with a small, sad smile on his face. They kept walking forward toward their destination, a small shop called "From Dust Till Dawn," while Ruby glanced at the boy and wondered just what kinds of secrets he had.

-x-

 **"So much has changed."** The boy sat down in the chair behind the main computer, thinking about what he had learned. Since he had arrived on the base, he had been skimming through many of the audio pages on something called an "internet." The world, Remnant, as it was now called, really was just as Summer had described. The technology, the culture, the people. Now matter how much he admired Summer, he never fully bought into her tales like Aero had, just as everyone else remained skeptical, but, being where he was, he couldn't deny it.

Turning off the monitor, he saw his reflection in the screen. For a moment, a part of him thought he saw Aero looking at him, causing him to jump back a bit. Though the face was the same, Dunden had to acknowledge the purple eyes looking back at him were his own.

He couldn't look at the image for long, however, because he felt a pain in his stomach and chest as he did. It wasn't hunger, but the pain was still real and it felt deep. Almost like he felt…

Suddenly, the monitor lit up on it's own. Where his own reflection had been, there was now the stern face of a grown man with what look like a piece of metal on his head.

"Who are you," said Dunden.

"I am General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Military. I have been informed that you recently attacked and overran one of our joint-military bases."

"I have," he said with as little emotion as he could.

"Then I must warn you that I have sent a group of elite soldiers to your location. They are circling the base as we speak." Dunden listened carefully and heard the shouts of several men giving orders and nearing the command room."

"I have given them orders to use any means necessary to apprehend you," he continued. "I suggest you surrender." Dunden paused and thought for a moment, before reaching for the crystal in his pocket. The power flowed into him as he felt the sand around the building begin to shift, followed by screams and gunfire coming from outside.

"I am sorry, General," Dunden said as he turned off the monitor, " **but I have my own orders to follow."** Readying his weapon, the black haired boy walked outside to see how much damage had already been done. His first batch of Deathworms may have been defeated, but he made sure their were more of them this time and that they were much, _much_ larger. He would be certain not to make the same mistakes again.

This time, the Fractals would walk once more.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I finally found the time to finish this chapter. Starting school has made things a little hectic, but it worked out. As always, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts, opinions and questions about the story. For now, enjoy the next chapter!**

 **P.S. For all of you wondering how and why Dunden showed up, don't worry. Answers are coming, but things are gonna get a lot crazier before then.**

"Just do it."

"No."

"It was _your_ idea."

"I know."

"Have you changed your mind?"

"No."

"Then why…?"

"Because."

Ruby didn't make eye contact with her sister, but it was easy for her to hear her sister's sigh. For someone so skilled at taking decisive action in a fight, Ruby had always been hopeless when it came to anything social and _this_ was on a much higher level than just talking to a stranger. The young leader just kept pacing back and forth in her pj's, trying to find her will.

"Come on, Ruby," said Weiss. "It's easy. Just walk up to him and say "Sweetie, would you like to move in with me?""

"Now is not the time, Weiss," shouted Ruby as she waved her arms angrily in the air.

"Oh, it's always the time."

Ruby huffed, put her back on the door and slumped down to the floor.

"It's just… Dad," she said in a quiet voice.

"Would he really be so against Aero staying with us," asked Blake, "even if he has nowhere to go?"

"It's not that," said Ruby. "It's… everything else. I don't know how he'll react."

"Hey," said Yang as she walked over and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright. Like I said, I'll put in my vote for Aero and I'm sure you two will do the same. Right?"

Blake and Weiss looked at each other for a moment with worried expressions.

"Right," said Yang, in a slightly grittier tone. Ruby was surprised at Yang's change of character. Just yesterday, she acted like she loathed Aero, but now she was actually trying to help Ruby offer her invitation.

"We can say for certain that he's well mannered," said Weiss, "but…"

"We're still not sure if we believe all of his story." Ruby saw Yang's face lower and felt her own do the same. She may not have known him for long, but Ruby genuinely couldn't say anything against the newcomer. He hadn't been rude or disruptive, with the exception of the hospital thing, but he had only done that to try to get his necklace back.

Thinking about the necklace, Ruby wondered what exactly made it so special. Aero had said something about shards, but he didn't say shards of what, though that was probably due to the sedatives knocking him out. Apparently, they were the key to what happened to both Aero and her mother, but Ruby didn't know anything about them.

"It's not that we have anything against him," said Blake, "but we still have no way of knowing if anything he says is true." Ruby lowered her head, but remembered what Yang had come back with late last night.

"That's not true," she said with a spark of confidence in her voice. "We know he knows Mom." Ruby stood up with a smile and nodded to her team before leaving the room and walking down the hall toward Aero's room.

 _Alright! I can do this!_

 _…_

 _I can definitely…_

 _…_

 _M-maybe I should…_

 _…_

 _I can't do this. I can't do this! I CAN'T DO THIS!_

Ruby was standing in the hall with her fist raised, mere inches from knocking on Aero's door, when her anxiety reared it's ugly head. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She couldn't ask Aero to stay with he-THEM! Even if he said yes, she would still have to ask her dad and that would just be another mess but she was gonna have to ask him if Blake and Weiss could stay anyway so maybe she should just go ahead but then again what if he said no then would what would she do did he not want to be around her no why would he wait why did that even matter right now what is going…

Ruby stood their with her brain on overdrive when the door opened to reveal Aero in his robes, carrying a towel and a pair of shorts they'd also picked up that afternoon. It took a moment for the girl to register that someone was standing in front of her, which made her jump back a bit when she finally did.

"Oh," said Aero, with a bit of surprise. "Hey, Ruby. Cute clothes."

"Thanks," she said with an embarrassed smile. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No," he said. "I was just about to go take a shower. It used to take forever to get any hot water back home, but you can get it here just by twisting a knob. It's incredible!" Ruby giggled a bit at Aero's childlike wonder at the world around him and wondered if she herself sometimes looked that way to others.

"So," he continued, "did you need anything?"

"Uh, yeah," she said nervously. "I actually had something to ask you."

"Ask away then."

"Well, first off, I was wondering what you were planning to do about, you know, _everything._ "

"Everything's quite a bit, Ruby."

"You know. What you're gonna be doing from now on and all that. Where you'll be living, for example." Aero's face lowered a bit and Ruby thought she had touched a subject she shouldn't have. Aero was in a new and strange world. Sure, he acted happy when she was around him, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was holding something back.

"Actually," he said in a low voice, "I don't know exactly. I've been so overwhelmed with everything I haven't put much thought into what I'll be doing from here on out." Ruby's face started to lower as well as she started to think about the boy's situation. Her eyes just couldn't seem to meet his so she looked down at her feet, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Aero wearing a genuine smile.

"You don't have to worry about me though. A little faith will see you through. That's my motto." Ruby felt her mood brighten back up as she heard his words.

"Well," she said with a smile, "if you ever need anything, just ask. I'll come running."

"Oh yeah," he said with a smirk as he took his hand off her shoulder, "how fast?" Ruby made a smirk of her own as she disappeared in a flash of rose petals and reappeared behind Aero.

"That fast." She had hoped the boy would be a little shocked by her swiftness, but he just looked over his shoulder with a smug look.

"I should've guessed," he said with laugh. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Little Speedster, I have a shower to take."

"Little," she said in mock offense. "You're not exactly tall either."

"Still taller than you and that's all that matters." Ruby stuck her tongue out at the boy, who just laughed at their antics as he started to walk off. It was then that Ruby remembered the whole reason she had come to see him.

"Hey, Aero," she said, causing him to stop and turn around. "If you don't have a place to stay, you could always stay at our house for a while. Blake and Weiss are already planning to visit for the summer and I-Yang and I were wondering if maybe you'd be interested." Ruby was genuinely surprised she'd worked up the courage to ask him. With every word she spoke, she felt her anxiety and embarrassment coming back, almost making her crack under the pressure.

"Hmm," he said with thinking expression. "I don't want to be a burden on anyone."

"You won't be," she said earnestly. "I promise." She saw the boys expression lighten at her words.

"I'd be honored to be a guest in your home." He made a little bow to her, making her blush a bit at his mannerisms.

"Alright then," she said. "I'll talk to you about the details later. Good night. Enjoy your warm water."

"Sweet dreams, Little Speedster." Ruby felt the heat in her cheeks grow as the boy started to walk away, leaving her to go return to her dorm room with a smile on her face. When she walked through the door, Ruby was immediately met by the faces of her waiting teammates, along with the face of Zwei, who jumped up and licked her cheek.

"Well," said Weiss, "what did he say?"

 _Little Speedster._

"Well, uh huh, uh…"

-x-

Later that night, Aero stood over the set of clothes laid out on his bed. Next to his new ensemble were various types of Dust he'd gotten that afternoon, purchased by Weiss, of course, to whom Aero was racking up a bit of debt, but he'd worry about that later.

"Ok. Here we go."

First, Aero used his grip to hold the multi-colored crystals in the air in front of him. He held them close together and focused on slowly infusing Aura into each one and passing it between them. Combining different types of Dust was something a specialty in his family and it was one of the reasons why people believed they were able to so freely use the Shards.

Slowly closing his glowing, opened hands, Aero watched as the now white crystals crumbled into a fine powder. He hadn't planned on doing it, hoping he could achieve it on his own, but Aero drew power from Beta when the Dust started to seep through the glowing energy. Larger objects were difficult enough to grip due to their weight and size, but a field around every individual grain required focus and training he did not have. Fortunately, Beta was more than enough help for his task.

Aero willed the powdered substance into a single cloud and focused on moving it in a steady stream to the fabric of his clothes. Using it like a quill, Aero moved the stream around the face of the clothing, imprinting the Dust into the material. Dimly lit white lines followed the impressions and were barely visible once Aero had finished.

The Totomian sat down on the bed, tired from the length of the day and his Aura usage. He looked at the robes on the floor next to his bed and the pile of Adamantine plates next to them. Aero didn't normally wear the armor underneath the silver fabric, save for special circumstances, and wasn't planning on wearing it himself.

 _ **Maybe Ruby would want them.**_

Aero moved his newly Dust enhanced clothes and sprawled out over the covers, thinking about Ruby's offer. Apparently, all of Team RWBY were going to be staying together throughout their vacation and he would be along for the ride. It sounded fun enough, but a part of him knew something wasn't right.

The blonde reached his hand up and his necklace. Strangely enough, believing the where and _when_ of his surroundings was easy. The hard part was thinking about what he needed to do. He hadn't really lied when he told Ruby he hadn't been thinking, he had just been avoiding the thoughts.

He looked down at Beta and thought about all he didn't know. The other Shards hadn't arrived with him, but it was crucial he find them as soon as possible. That kind of power was extremely dangerous in _any_ hands. On top of that, Omega had shattered as well, meaning there were who-knows-how-many pieces of it scattered who-knows-where as well. Possibly even worse, him being in that time made it very likely that Rize was somewhere out there, searching for the Shards at that very moment.

Aero felt the worry and fear rise up in him as he thought about what could happen if the wrong people found any of the Shards, but he remembered back to the time Summer had first arrived, to the sound of her voice as she tried to calm him and Dunden. He tightened his grip around Beta and thought of Ruby and Yang and how much they reminded him of her mother, the woman who had done so much for him, especially the Little Speedster herself.

 _Don't worry, Ruby. I'll find her._

Aero made a vow to himself then. He owed Summer more than he could ever repay, but he was going to start by protecting her world from whatever dangers he'd brought into it..

-x

The light of the computer screen illuminated the room as Cinder scrolled through several files pertaining to her future plans. Target locations, resource depots, people of interest. All these things and more would have to be attended to and many she trusted no one but herself to handle.

"So," said Mercury, who was lying on a bed in the corner, "did either of you hear about that new kid who won his fight earlier today?"

"I didn't see the fight," said Emerald, "but none of the idiots today would shut up about it. Apparently, he took down a member of one of Beacon's older teams, but no one knows who the guy is."

"Someone said he was the same kid who tried to break out of the hospital this weekend."

"Figures. They wouldn't shut up about that either."

"Does he have a name," asked Cinder.

"Hold on," said Emerald as she scrolled down her Scroll, looking at updates people had posted the past few days. Personally, Cinder hated the idea of social media, seeing it as a waste of valuable time, but she knew the power of information and made sure her underlings kept up the task of searching for anything valuable.

"It says here his name is Aero. They posted a video too." Emerald handed her Scroll to Cinder, who examined the recording in front of her. It started the moment the boy reached the arena floor and finished when he collapsed after beating his opponent. Cinder raised her hand to her chin and looked at a paused section of video. The boy was charging, but the image gave a clear look at his face.

"So," said Mercury, "what do you think?"

"Hmm," hummed Cinder, "there is definitely more to him than meets the eye. His outfit and style are strange, but he has a powerful form of telekinesis. That would be useful."

"Should I put him on the list," asked Emerald.

"No," said Cinder, "not yet. We'll keep an eye on him for the time being and try to find more information. Until then, mark him as a person of interest." Emerald nodded and opened a newly made file on the swordsman.

"I just can't wait for the school year to be over," said Mercury as he stretched out on his bed. "Things have gotten boring lately."

Cinder returned to her own screen, checking for any irregularities. For the most part, those under her control, both knowing and unknowing, were efficient enough to not require her immediate notice. Some of Vale's professional criminals had become somewhat unruly since Roman's capture, but she planned on dealing with that situation soon enough.

Cinder continued to scroll down until something caught her eye. An incident report, one sent from a usually quiet sector on the southern coast of Vacuo, had been highlighted in the system. She had secured a hidden link into the Inter-kingdom Transmit System's main terminal earlier that year. With the link, she was able to unnoticably view most transmissions that went through the terminal, be they public or confidential.

The specific file that intrigued her turned out to have some fairly shocking information. According to the report, a small base in the southwest had been completely overrun by an unknown assailant. Said assailant had singlehandedly defeated 3 Knights and a Paladin before running all personal off the base. A file attached to the document showed orders to reclaim the base, but no one from the strike team had yet reported back.

Looking deeper into the case, Cinder found a security clip showing part of the ensuing fight. The quality was poor, but the pyrokinetic could plainly see the ferocity of the man's attack. She paused the video when she could finally see the attackers face and zoomed in. The person wore regal looking black robes and actually looked younger than Cinder had expected. Not only that, but he looked very familiar.

"Pull up that video of the boy again." Emerald obeyed Cinder's command and showed her leader her scroll. Cinder once again zoomed in on an image of the blonde's face and compared it to the black haired boy's. Her eyes widened as she stared at the similarities between them.

"Emerald."

"Yes, Cinder?" Cinder closed her laptop and looked at the green haired girl.

"Put him on the list."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I gotta say, it feels kind of weird that over 50 of you are following this story at this point... and of course by "weird" I mean awesome! When it's half past midnight, I look at my notifications and see that someone, somewhere is saying "I like this. Give me more!," it just gives me more reason to try and make the best story I can. So, as always, be sure to favorite, follow and give your questions and comments on the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

There was a festive feeling in the air as Aero and Summer made their way out of the castle's main gate and into the city. All around them, shops and games were being stocked in preparation for the night's events. Thirteen years was an important milestone for the Totomians and there was certainly no exception for the twin princes.

"Everyone sure seems excited," said Summer as a group of children ran past them with big grins on their faces. "How about you?"

"I'm… looking forward to the party," said Aero as he nodded his head to a woman who had bowed to him.

"You sure don't sound excited," she said. "You're not planning on skipping this festival too, are you? It is _your_ party this time. Not Risse's."

"I did not skip that one," Aero said defensively. "I just went back to the castle early. I can't help it if being around that many people wears me out."

Summer laughed at the boy's introvert nature.

" **You know, I used to have the same problem when I was your age."**

" **Oh yeah? What's the secret to getting over it?"**

" **Simple,"** she said. **"While you'll probably never like crowds, the trick to still enjoying yourself is make it so the crowd isn't there."**

" **How do you do that?"**

Summer smiled at him.

" **You just have to find the only other person in the world."**

" **I don't understand,"** said Aero with genuine confusion.

" **Don't worry,"** she said. **"You will."**

The two kept walking down the road connecting the castle to the rest of the city. The castle itself was right in the middle of town, overlooking the winding streets that led out to the high walls protecting the city. Outside those walls were farmlands bringing in the food and rivers flowing out to the sea. It still amazed Aero how quickly humanity started to bloom since the Grimm had been pushed back and Totum was founded, but he also knew the consequences of his grandfather forcing the warring tribes together.

Aero turned to see a gussied up man riding a horse in the direction of the palace. He made eye contact with him, but the man sneered and continued on his way, pretending not to notice anyone around him. Aero was only wearing a plain pair of pants and a shirt at the time, purposely making him not stand out, but he would have loved to see the face of the obvious dignitary if he had known who Aero was.

 _Who am I kidding? He'd probably do it again._

"We're here!"

Aero was pulled back into reality at the sound of Summer's voice. He looked up to see they had indeed made it to their destination, a large stone building on a corner with a sign that read "KARSON'S FORGE." There was a distinctive metal on metal sound coming from the building and the massive windows had an orange glow coming out of them, a sign the forge fires were lit.

"So, are you ready?"

"I don't know. I mean, I don't know the first thing about smithing."

"You make it sound like you'll be making your weapon today."

"Am I not? I thought that's what we came all the way here for."

Summer just sighed.

"First, it is, at max, a ten minute walk from the gate to here. If it weren't for the festival setup, it would take five. Don't make it sound like a marathon. Second, it's your birthday, not to mention the anniversary of Halos' reign starting. The forge is probably shutting down now so people can get ready for this afternoon. Besides, it's almost noon so you probably wouldn't finish even if it wasn't."

"So, what are we here for?"

"Well," she said, crossing her arms and not meeting Aero's eyes, "I just thought you might like to tell Quinn you'll be stopping by tomorrow to see her." A wicked grin grew across her face as Aero's turned red with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"You know very well I could do that tonight," he said, "and I'm _not_ coming for anything like that. It probably won't even be her who works with me. Most likely, it'll be Flint. So, I ask again: Why. Are. We. Here?"

Summer didn't reply and silently walked into the forge, causing Aero to follow after, glaring at the white hooded woman who hummed a tune to herself.

They entered the building and made their way to the large, open floor. Rather than being used by a single smith, Karson's Forge was known for hiring dozens of metalworkers to help stock Totum's arsenal. The greatest of these smiths was Karson himself, but, since his passing, his son Flint had taken up the title of forgemaster. The same burly, red haired man was working on sharpening a blade, but he stopped and headed toward Aero and Summer when he noticed them.

"Hello you two," he said with a wide grin. "Come to check out the stock for a birthday present, Aero?"

"Well," said Aero, "something like that."

"Let me guess. Acrose is forcing you to make a weapon."

"Not Acrose, but this one is," he said, nodding his head toward Summer.

"I'm not making you. I'm just strongly suggesting it."

"Good," said Flint with a laugh, "and I take it Red Eyes let you out early for once. I love that man like a brother, but even I wouldn't want to work under him."

"He's not that bad," Aero said. "He just knows the value of work. It's something I agree with."

Flint slapped Aero on the shoulder.

"Good man. Now, we can't start today, but I can make you a special offer."

"What is it?"

"Well, as you know, Quinn turned thirteen not long ago as well and… oh, just a moment," he said as he started waving his arms. "Quinn!"

Aero turned to see a petite girl standing in the storehouse doorway with her work clothes on. Her blazing red hair was tied up in a ponytail and the bit of black soot on her face only highlighted her already piercing bronze eyes even more. She looked surprised when she saw who was standing with her father and quickly tried rubbing the soot off her face as she made her way over to them.

"Hey, Quinn," said Aero.

"Hey to you," she said with a scrunched up face. "Is there something you need?"

"Actually," said Flint, "Aero is here to talk about making a weapon for himself. I was just about to tell him that you were hoping to earn your stripes by working with some Adamantine. I figured the two of you could work on it together."

Quinn's face lit up red at her father's words.

"What?!" She sounded angry. "He… I mean, I… we can't… but…"

She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, looking extremely frustrated and becoming silent for a moment.

"Fine," she finally said, not meeting anyone's gaze, "but you'd better not mess me up! Got it?" Quinn looked right at Aero and pointed in his face when she spoke, causing the boy to jump back a bit and put his hands up defensively.

"Got it, spitfire," he said with a nervous smile. At this, her face lit up again and she looked like she was about to speak, but her father interrupted.

"Alright then. Can you come in tomorrow morning? I'm sure I could convince Acrose when I see him tonight."

"Sounds good to me," said Aero. He looked to see Quinn stealing quick, angry looking glances at him. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have called her a spitfire, but it just kind of slipped out.

"Are you coming to the festival tonight," he asked her, trying to ease the tension.

"Of course I am," she said. "Who in the world isn't?"

Aero rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of something else to say, but she spoke first..

"If you're asking if you'll see me tonight," she continued, still not looking at him, but sounding quieter, "I wouldn't be against saying yes."

"Actually, I…" He was about to speak when he felt a hand over his mouth.

"It's a date then," said Summer, making both teens' faces darken a few shades. "We'll see you tonight!" With that, Summer rushed the two of them out the front door and into the street.

"What was all that about," Aero shouted at Summer when she finally let go of him. "I couldn't breathe!"

"Oh, nothing," said Summer with mock innocence and a laugh. "Now come on, we've got a party to get ready for!"

Aero sighed, realizing whatever was happening was out of his control, and followed the strange woman back to the castle, all while wondering how his next hours were going to turn out.

-x-

"Now then," continued the instructor, "I know how excited all of you must feel about the end of the year. Sweet freedom from the horrors of the classroom await you just beyond those doors." The black and silver haired man pointed to the doorway at the back of his classroom, causing excitement among the students.

"However," he said, bringing the attention back to him, "I have one last important lesson to teach. Next year will be, for most of you, your final year at Signal."

"Unless we pull a Ruby," shouted someone in the back. Many students let out a laugh, but others murmured to themselves. Ruby Rose always seemed to be in the background during her time at Signal, not getting involved with many extra activities, with the exception of being the personal protegee of her uncle, Professor Branwen.

Still, no one expected her to become so skilled she'd get a fastpass to Beacon.

"True," said Qrow. "Ruby's case was a special one, but the point I want to make is that next year may be the most important year of training you'll ever have. It will be the year you all begin applying to Huntsman academies around the world. Don't slack off this summer. Be prepared for the challenges ahead."

He headed toward the door.

"But more importantly, have fun." Qrow opened up the door just as the final bell rang, releasing the Huntsmen-and-Huntresses-to-be out into the halls, thanking their professor and giving goodbyes as they passed.

Once they had all left, Qrow returned to his desk and started packing up his belongings. He put a few textbooks in the cabinets, grabbed his collapsed scythe and donned his torn cape before heading out the door, flicking the light off behind him. Finally, another year was finished.

He was about to head out of the school, but decided instead to visit his "brother" and former teammate, Taiyang Xiao Long. Said Xiao Long's classroom was right down the hallway, so it only took a moment to reach the room. Qrow peaked his head in to see the built, blonde man gleefully packing up his things with a smile on his face.

"You sure seem happy," said Qrow smugly. "Where the kids really _that_ bad this year?"

"Very funny, you dusty old bird," said Taiyang. He stood up pushed his long ponytail back over his shoulder. "Why not be happy though? We finally get a break!"

"True," said Qrow, "but I think you're more happy about seeing the girls again than seeing the beach."

"First off, the beach is, at most, a 30 minute drive from here. If it weren't for the traffic it would take 20. Don't make it sound like a road trip. Second, duh." Both men let out a laugh before Taiyang turned to his desk and looked at the picture of him and his daughters standing outside their cottage of a house. Qrow reached over and put a hand on the brawler's shoulder.

"I know it's been tough."

"It sure has," he said in a quieter tone, "but we've seen how much they've grown. Ruby's even started to come out of her shell a bit. Still, I can't wait to have them home." He picked up the picture and both started making their way to the door.

"Would it kill them to call more often though?"

Not a moment after Taiyang finished his sentence, his schoolbag started to vibrate. He unzipped the bag and pulled out his Scroll. The machine spelled out INCOMING CALL FROM: RUBY and Taiyang immediately answered. The screen changed to show not just Ruby, but also Yang sitting on a bed in what he assumed was their dorm.

"Hey, Dad," the girls said in unison.

"Hello, girls," he said with a smile. "Ready to be done with your classes?"

"Oh, you know it," said Yang. "You guys just got out, right?"

"Yep," said Qrow, sneaking his head in behind Taiyang, "but you poor souls still have three more days."

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby lit up upon seeing her uncle/teacher show up.

"In the flesh. I have to say, I like the new clothes, you two. You look just like me, Ruby."

"Well," she said bashfully, "I had to get inspiration from somewhere."

"Uggh," said Taiyang as he rolled his eyes. "I miss the days when a black pair of pants and a brown jacket were all you needed. There was no such thing as a… what are they called?... battle tutu."

"Combat skirt," corrected Ruby, but her father only laughed.

"So," he said, "what are you up too? We haven't seen you since the tournament."

"Actually," said Yang, "that's kinda what we wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember Blake and Weiss?

"You're teammates? Of course. Are they with you now?"

"They're out on a double date right now and, well," said Ruby nervously, "we were wondering iiiiffff…. you would let them stay with us this summer." Both girls were doing there best puppy dog faces in an attempt to win their father over.

"Hmm," he hummed. "Will the Schnee be paying rent?"

"Dad!"

"I'm just kidding," he said with a laugh. "Of course they can stay. We've got plenty of room. It'll be nice for your friends to come over."

Qrow looked at the girls and could tell both of them had become extremely nervous. Ruby's face was even starting to get a little red as Qrow wondered what was coming next.

"That's, uh," said Ruby nervously, "not all we wanted to ask you."

"Oh yeah? You aren't bringing a boy home are you?" Taiyang let out another laugh before seeing neither of his daughters laughing along. "Are you," he said in a more serious tone.

Both sisters looked at each other before Yang started to reach for something off screen.

"Dad…" said Ruby as Yang pulled whatever she was reaching for into view. The eyes of both men shrank when they saw the white cloak in front of them. Qrow was dumbfounded, but Taiyang look like was about to collapse. Neither could form a thought before Yang spoke up.

"We have a lot to talk about."

-x-

The room was hectic. Lights were flashing. People ran from terminal to terminal. It was the definition of disorganized and it was something General Ironwood would not stand for.

"Enough!" The room went silent as the general's voice echoed through it. The lights were flashing, but everyone stood at attention.

"Now," he continued, "I want an update on the situation."

"Sir," said a man, "there has still been no contact with anyone on the strike team. Even those in the air haven't reported in."

"Do we have a location?"

"One of the Bullheads we sent in is moving north across the desert. It may have been commandeered."

The general grunted and clenched his fist. He had hoped the situation in Vacuo would be finished quickly, preferably with the boy behind the attack put behind bars, but there he was, standing in the command station on his airship with an entire squad missing.

"Mr. Ironwood." The general turned around to see a girl with bright orange hair and a pink bow, staring at him questioningly.

"Penny," he said, "I thought I told you not to wander around."

"I'm sorry, sir," she said while lowering her head, "but I heard a lot of noise coming from here. I was curious." Ironwood was about to say something when a woman's voice rang out.

"Sir!"

"What is it?"

"The Bullhead has stopped, sir. The engines are down. Should we send in a team?"

Ironwood put his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. His first instinct was to send in another squad of soldiers to deal with the situation, but that strategy may have gotten some of his men killed. Some of Ozpin's words entered his head, but he shook them off.

"No," he finally said, "but I may have an alternative." He turned to the cyborg and put his hand on her shoulder. "Penny."

"Yes, sir? What's going on?"

"One of our bases was recently attacked by someone in the Vacuon desert. I believe your skills may be just what we need in this situation." Penny jumped excitedly at the thought of her first official mission.

"Am I gonna save the world, sir," she asked with glee.

"You will, Penny," he said, removing his hand and smiling, "and this will be another step on that path. Do not fail."

"I won't let you down!"

Ironwood turned around and tightened his face, staring intently at the map on the screen in front of him. Penny's mission would show the fruits of his labor to create the perfect weapon. He had just taken an enormous risk, but he wasn't worried just because of her involvement.

Something about all this was troubling him far more than it should have been. The boy was even taking his attention away from… _other_ threats who he hoped were completely unrelated. If they were somehow involved…

"One last thing, Penny."

"Yes?"

"If at all possible, I want the person responsible for this captured alive. I have a few questions I'd like to ask him."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Sorry I couldn't get this posted earlier today. I just needed to add some finishing touches. There's a lot more backstory and quite a few crucial bits of information being tossed around this time. Keep your eyes peeled ;) As always, be sure to follow, favorite and let me know your questions and comments. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

The torches were lit, the stands were open and the people were all gathered together, laughing, smiling and enjoying themselves under the light of the fires and the moon. Aero couldn't have imagined a better festival, if it weren't for the fact he was, along with the Dunden, the center of attention. He was uneasy about stepping out onto the stage set up at the castle gate and kept taking glances at the stairs he would soon have to walk.

 _You really don't like the crowds, do you?_

The little voice in his head caused Aero to turn to his twin with a nervous expression on his face.

 _It's not that I don't like the crowds. It's that, well… this day isn't just about us. The world changed so much. We were just along for the ride, right along with everyone else._

 _Then don't think it's about us. People are showing up just as much for Father as they are for you and I. Probably even more for him._

 _I know, but…_

"You two aren't having a meaningful talk without me, are you?" Both brothers turned to see a tall, emerald eyed boy with messy, black hair and a devious grin had snuck up on them. "I swear, that whole psychic thing you guys do just creeps me out. Now, if you could read anyone's mind, that would be cool, but just reading one other person's? That's lame."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Aero in mockingly apologetic voice. "I didn't realize we were in the presence of someone so knowledgeable about popularity, _Ezekiel._ " The green eyed boy looked mildly annoyed at the mention of his full first name.

"We all know Zek sounds better as a nickname," he said begrudgingly.

"Right," said Aero, "and the sound of someone dropping a plate sounds better than a cymbal."

"Haha. Very funny," said Zek.

"Very," said Dunden with a deadpan expression. "So, what are you doing back here?"

"And what's with the party clothes? It's rare to see you wearing a shirt, or at least one without holes in it."

"I'm just seeing if my bestest buddies in the whole world needed a little encouragement before facing the masses," he said as pulled both of them in by their shoulders. "Also, duh. It's a party! I thought looking a bit more decent would help my chances tonight. Besides, a little extra constraint will make getting through the crowds _much_ easier."

"Chances? Don't tell us you're going to try to…"

"I'm telling you guys," Zek said as he interrupted, "all I have to do is win her a prize and get her to dance. Then she'll fall head over heels for me."

"Jen's more likely to plant her heel in your head," said Aero with a chuckle.

"That's only if I get her really mad. Quinn, on the other hand, would punch you in the face just for being in the same room." Zek started to laugh loudly as Aero's face turned red.

"He's not wrong," Dunden deadpanned, which only made Zek laugh harder.

"Do not encourage him!"

Zek was about to speak up again when the boys noticed a group of very familiar people making their way toward the back of the stage. Halos was walking toward them with Summer and Risse on either side of him and every guard stood at attention as their king passed.

"Hello, you two," said Halos as he raised his arms outward with a smile on his face. Aero and Dunden both ran forward and met their father in a hug, careful to not accidently hit the single, split blade on his back. When he had both hands, Halos was renowned as a master dual swordsman, but, as a testament to his skill, losing one limb had done little to impair his skill with a single blade.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see you both much today," he continued as he released the twins, "but you know how the lords and nobles are. Always "Oh, great King Halos, Master of the Alpha, Breaker of Blades blah blah blah. They never stop." The old king rolled his eyes and earned a laugh from Aero and a barely visible half smile from Dunden. Still, Aero knew that little gesture meant a lot.

"Mhm hmm," Risse coughed, getting the attention of the others. "Congratulations to the both of you. Today is certainly special, but I think the public is waiting."

"Right. Ezekiel," Halos said, turning to the boy. Instead of looking annoyed at the king, Zek smiled and took off a ring off his finger and threw it to Halos, who caught it midair. He held the emerald stone tightly and his eyes quickly flashed a light green color before returning to their normal blue.

"I'd almost forgotten what it was like to hold Zeta," he said. "It makes you feel weightless."

"It makes you feel great, doesn't it?"

"Absolutely. Now, let's see if I remember how to use it. Come on, boys." Halos nodded to a nearby guard holding a trumpet. He blew into the instrument, notifying all those in earshot the royals were about to appear. The sound echoed through the streets, getting the attention of the people.

"Wish us luck," said Aero to Summer.

"Break a leg." At this, everyone looked at Summer with a concerned look on their faces, save Risse, who looked like he was pretending she wasn't there.

"What," they said in unison.

"You know. Wish someone bad luck so they get good luck?" They all just stared at her, trying to find the slightest trace of reason in what she was saying.

"Just forget it," she finally said. "Get a move on!"

Halos walked up the stairs first, followed by closely by Dunden and then Aero. They could see the enormity of the crowd from the top of the stage. Aero could see Acrose, unsurprisingly still in his armor, with Selena at his side by a food stand. Jen was in a group with the other nobles, including the stuck up dignitary from earlier, who looked terrified when he saw Aero in his robes. The blonde boy couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his face. The one person he didn't see was...

"Greetings, my friends," said Halos. His voice wasn't loud, but it was like the sound was being carried directly to Aero's ears. He figured it must have been Zeta's doing, which explained why Zek was really backstage. The sound of Halos' voice couldn't possibly reach everyone, but the Shard's power made it simple to do so.

"Today," he continued, "is an anniversary worth noting. It was on this day, thirteen years ago, when the world changed forever. Not just the government, not just my family, but the lives of you and your children were all shifted, hopefully to the greater good of all."

"My father, Egil, held this world with an iron grip." Many older faces in the audience nodded at Halos' words, but many also looked like they were scrutinizing every word he spoke. "His terror, the terror of the Omega, caused more pain than any single one of us could comprehend. Our lives were constantly threatened by his twisted agents and by the monsters of his own design. We feared not just for ourselves, but for the posterity I see before me." He put a hand on both his son's' shoulders.

"It was here, in this city, where I took the Alpha and made my stand against my father. Many of you stood beside me, following my orders and protecting the innocents from the dangers of the battle. We pulled through, but with great cost."

Halos lowered his head and was silent. Though he didn't say to, everyone in the city, everyone who heard their king's words, paid their silent respects to the fallen.

"Against all that stood against us," he finally said with a few tears in his eyes, "we could not save us all. There was loss, both great and small. I lost my father, but worse than that, I lost my best friend. To this day, and every day, I long to see her again. I wonder what she would say to me, what she would say about the world now. Many here hold grudges against each other and many more hold hatred for me, but she would encourage us to run toward peace. Egil is gone, so we must take steps to close the divides he created."

He paused again.

"I wonder what she would say about the world, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, she would speak of the love she had for her sons, the same sons I am honored to have call me Father. She knew them for so little time, but each of them, Risse, Dunden, Aero, held and still hold the deepest spots in her heart and soul."

"So, on the day this world changed, let us honor those who sacrificed their lives for ours, their souls for our salvation. Let us put aside all that hinders and grow together. We are brothers and sisters. Let this family never fall apart."

Halos bowed before the crowd and the city erupted in applause. It was true many distrusted the descendants of Egil, but those same people held, at the very least, a begrudging respect for their king and general. Aero knew the eyes of the world were on him, but what scared him wasn't the world.

Instead, the eyes he was focused on were a piercing bronze pair looking directly at him.

-x-

Penny was, understandably, a little nervous. She had hoped to be able to see some of Vacuo's landscape during her trip, but the doors on the airship were sealed tight. The soldiers accompanying her, while friendly enough to talk, were acting jumpy, like they were scared of being where they were. Based on what General Ironwood had said, Penny knew they had good reason to worry.

"We're approaching the site," said a voice on the intercom. The door opened, letting in the harsh sunlight. Penny looked down to see a rocky canyon below them. Zooming in her vision, she could make out the stolen Bullhead near the bottom, damaged, as if it had crashed.

"Are you ready to drop?"

"Yes, sir," said Penny into her earpiece.

"Good," said Ironwood. "Once you drop, the soldiers will pull back and get ready to extract or assist you if necessary. I'll be monitoring the situation from here at command."

"Um, sir…"

"There's nothing to worry about, Penny. You have the full backing of the Atlesian military and have been specially trained to handle these missions. I have full faith in your ability to succeed." Penny smiled a bit, but she still felt a nagging bit of fear.

"Dropping in five… four… three… two…"

Penny braced herself.

"...now!"

The redhead leaped from the ship, plummeting down toward the valley. She pulled out one of her swords and threw it into one of the taller rock formations. Using the string, she circled the tower before landing safely at the bottom.

"Penny, do you see anything?"

"Nothing yet, Mr. Ironwood."

"What about your sensors?"

"There's motion, but…" Penny paused for a moment, trying to make sense of the data. "It's like something is messing with my systems. According to the sensor, most of the motion is coming from right in front of me, but there's nothing there."

"We have nothing on visual either, and the aura readings are fluctuating."

"Sir, how is that possible?"

"I don't know, but something is down there."

Penny moved closer to the crash site. The area was enclosed by rock walls reaching up to the canyon's ceiling and she had a sneaking suspicion something was watching her from above. Her sensors kept randomly telling her something was there, but would then disappear a moment later.

Once she got to the site, she noticed the front end was indeed damaged, but it still looked flyable. Maybe the engine had been damaged, or maybe…

Penny's train of thought ended when she noticed the figure sitting in the pilot's seat. They were wearing military armor, but it was badly damaged and they weren't moving. She ran into the cockpit and pulled the soldier out the chair.

"Sir," she said with fear, "please wake up."

"Have you found a survivor?"

"I… I don't know. There's aura in him, but it's… ahhh." Penny dropped the man and clutched her head tightly.

"Penny? Penny, what's wrong?" Ironwood sounded very worried and it took Penny a moment to answer him.

"It feels like a headache," she said through the pain, "but that's not possible. How could I…" Penny didn't have time to finish her sentence before what felt like razor blades enter her neck. She pried whatever was attacking her off and looked in horror to see the soldier had not only bitten through her metal body, but had _bitten_ through her metal body!

His helmet was knocked off when Penny fought back and she could see his eyes looked pitch black. The skin on his face looked like it was turning purple and what looked like crystals were growing on his right side. The soldier dove at Penny again, trying to finish the job, but Penny slashed at him with her swords, sending him flying out of the cockpit window.

"Penny! What's happening?"

"I've been hurt," she said, feeling the sparks of electricity flashing from her neck.

"What?"

"It was the soldier. He wasn't… he… he bit me."

"He… he bit you? How…"

Penny didn't hear the last thing Ironwood said. Instead, she was focused on the scene in front of her. She had exited the airship, only to see the monster soldier standing up without a scratch on him. From the higher cliffs, 5 more soldiers emerged, all moving more like animals than humans. They all jumped down and tried to attack her.

Penny released the rest of the swords from her back and prepared to defend herself. She swung her floating blades in an arc and hit all but one of them, who jumped over her swords and made a beeline for her. The soldier tried slashing at her with his hand, now looking more like a claw, but Penny ducked down and landed a powerful punch on her enemies jaw that sent him flying into the canyon wall.

The others had recovered by this time and tried to overwhelm her again. She rolled beneath them and laced her strings around each of their bodies. They struggled for a moment and Penny thought she had stopped at least a few of them, but pieces of violet crystal started coming up through their armor, cutting them free.

Penny was so shocked at what she was seeing, she almost didn't notice the one she had punched had actually stood and readied his gun. He started firing at her, forcing her further on the defensive. She dove behind a rock for cover, trying to think of a plan.

"Sir, I need backup!"

It wasn't a moment later when Penny heard the sound of gunshots around her. A Bullhead appeared in the sky above her and trained its guns on her opponents. They started to serpentine at unnatural speeds, dodging everything fired their way. Penny was about to enter the fray, but she stopped when she saw a double ended sword fly through the air and cut the airship's gun off.

She couldn't see who threw the weapon, but she was forced out of her cover by one of the monsters flanking her. In a moment of panic, she stabbed forward and pierced the soldier in the gut. The blade barely etched it's way into the monster, but it was enough to cause it let out an unnatural shrill that echoed off the walls.

Penny pulled her weapons out of the beast, causing it to fall, and readied herself to fight again, but none of them moved to attack her. They started to circle her, staring at her intently, like they were waiting for her to make a move.

Penny was about to decide on an attack, when her aura sensors started spasming again. The soldiers all turned to look at their injured ally, who Penny had turned her back too. She looked behind her to see a boy in black robes standing over the monster, holding the sword Penny had seen. He turned to look at her, his violet eyes void of emotion.

"What are you?"

Penny kept her swords in front of her, ready to fight. She recognized the boy from the image General Ironwood had shown her.

"You aren't human."

A few sparks shot out of Penny's wound, as if just to drive the point home.

"No. I'm not human. I'm the first synthetic being capable of generating an aura, but that doesn't mean I'm not real."

"If you're referring to your aura," he said, "then you are certainly real, but that makes you an enigma to me. How could something, neither human nor faunus, have a soul? How do I know you aren't just a mindless drone?"

"Because… because I…"

"You say you're real. On whose account?"

"Ruby's. My friend told me I was real."

Penny saw a quick flash of emotion in the boy's eyes. She hoped she hadn't made a mistake in mentioning her friend.

Suddenly, the boy dashed toward her and swung his blade toward Penny's neck. She was almost done for, but she pulled on the thing strings around her and tripped her attacker. He rolled on the ground and continued his assault. Penny was too close to use all her swords effectively, so she opted to wield two of them in her hands, but she couldn't gain an advantage.

The boy ducked under one of her attacks and raised his hand toward Penny's torso. I flash of violet light filled her eyes and she was sent flying back, nearly crashing into the wall

She looked forward and saw the same violet light enveloping the boy. He raised his hand and large stone, glowing with the same power, started to rise from the desert floor. Penny decided to act quickly. All she hoped was that he wouldn't die.

The boy pushed his arm forward with a visible strain on his face, but the distance between them gave Penny just enough time. She called each her blades, readied them in front of her and launched a green laser at her opponent. The beam shot directly through the stone and hit the boy directly, knocking him into the wall so powerfully it created a hole.

Penny, feeling slightly exhausted, made her way over to the boy. She looked at the soldiers as she passed, but they all quickly fell over, completely still. Even though her sensors still weren't acting right, she could feel the small amount of aura in them.

She took another step and felt something hard under her foot. The second she touched it, a cold wave spread across her body. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt or even knew she could feel. Reaching down, she found what looked like a purple Dust crystal covered in sand.

"Wait…"

The voice was almost too faint to hear, but Penny quickly ran over to it's source. The boy was laying on his stomach, obviously on the verge of collapsing. He didn't look like he had any serious injuries, but there was still a fair amount damage done.

"D-Don't…"

The boy's face fell into the sand. Penny hesitantly reached down to see if he was okay, but a voice sounded in her ear before she could check.

"Penny, is the target neutralized?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Good. Then your mission was a complete success. Excellent work, Penny."

Penny tried to smile, but she just couldn't find the strength too. She felt strange.

"With that done, sedate the boy, retrieve the… soldiers… and return immediately."

"Alright."

"Once again, good job."

Penny heard the sound of the incoming Bullhead and watched as the soldiers readied the still immobile beasts for transport and brought a stretcher for the unconscious boy. She made her way over to the airship and sat down as they started their engines and started the return trip to Vale.

She sighed, opened her palm and looked down at the crystal. Something was definitely off about it. Looking at it, her mind started imagining things. She was a freak, an experimental weapon and nothing more. No one cared for her beyond her combat readiness. Even Ruby, her first real friend, was just trying to be nice when she learned Penny's secret. Once she left that Friday, Ruby would happily never think of her again.

Penny shook these thoughts from her still hurting head, trying to understand what would make her think those things. She dropped the stone into her pocket and tried to calm down, but she still felt the pain.

Though she tried to convince herself none of it was true, the fact still remained: her friends were leaving and so was she, likely to never see each other again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! I hope your all excited for the next chapter. Sorry that I don't have much to say, but I'm about 60 seconds from having to go to class. Anyway, and as always, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and questions on the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Aero followed his father and brother down the steps, mentally preparing himself for what events he expected to follow. He looked up to see Summer, Risse and Zek waiting for them. Summer walked up to him and put her hands on her hips, looking at Aero with a sly smile on her face.

"What?"

 **"Was the crowd still there,"** she asked.

 **"Of course the crowd was still there,"** Aero answered as he walked over to the side of the stage. He peered around the edge to look into the masses, now back to their celebrating, but undoubtedly waiting for the princes to join the fun. **"Emphasis on the "still." And the "there.""**

 **"Well then,"** she replied, **"I guess I'll just have to wait until the night's over to ask you again."** Aero was about to comment when he felt an arm sling over his shoulder.

"So," said Zek, "how's about we get a move on? After all, you're my wingman tonight."

"Ezekiel," said Halos, getting the attention of the emerald eyed boy. The king tossed Zeta back to Zek, who slipped it on his finger. The boy jumped up in the air a bit, enjoying the sensation of the Shard's power coursing through him.

"Now," Halos continued, "I believe it's time for us to join the party."

"And for Aero to start his date," Summer said, causing Aero to go red in the face.

"I do NOT have a date! In fact, I'm not even 100% sure what a date even is."

"Simple," said the hooded woman. "A date is when two people go have fun and decide if they want to be together or not."

"Don't I seem a little young for that?"

"True," said Risse with a half grin. "You may need an escort."

"Is it like courting then," added Halos, with a laugh. "Regardless, I'd bet both the Alpha and Omega that a certain fiery redhead is involved somewhere in this."

"Spitfire," said Dunden in a monotone voice.

"What was that," asked Risse.

"He calls her Spitfire now." Aero stared at Dunden with a look of utter betrayal as the rest of the group started to laugh under their breath.

 _Please stop._

"He called her that earlier and now he thinks that name whenever he thinks of her." At this point, everyone, save the twins, had tears in their eyes from laughing at the young blonde's expense.

 _Those were private thoughts!_

 _You were practically screaming them when you saw her in the crowd. I could barely hear my own._

"Okay, okay," said Halos, calming himself down. "Seriously though, I need to give you something, Aero." The boy turned to his father, still feeling the weight of his teasing, but disregarded the feeling when he saw his father lift the necklace holding Beta over his head and hold it out in front of him. Everyone's eyes widened a bit at the action.

"What… I mean…"

"Take it," said Halos with a smile.

"But… but what about…" Aero could form the words, but instead looked expectantly at Risse.

"It's too difficult for me to control as I am," said Risse. with a bit of sadness in his voice. "Maybe some of Egil's influence is still in me, try as I might to overcome it. You, on the other hand, should have no trouble." Aero felt even more shock at his brother's words. It was true that Risse was especially focused on by Egil, who hoped to turn the man fully to his cause, but Risse had fought against Egil alongside his father. He should be the next person to hold Beta.

Aero turned to Dunden, trying to see some reaction.

"I'll be staying close to the castle tonight," said Dunden. "There should be more than enough guards there. You'll be out further in city. If something happens, you'll need Beta more than I will." Aero tried thinking of an argument, but he had to agree that him having the Shard did make some sense, but he still felt some hurt inside his chest. He didn't want to have something so precious just because he needed protecting.

"Aero," said Halos. The boy refocused on his father, who used his Grip to raise Beta over Aero's head and place it down on the boy's neck. He felt a small surge of energy flow into him, making his body and spirit feel stronger with every moment.

"Listen," the king continued, "this is important. You have a gift, Aero. As do you, Dunden." The twins looked expectantly at their father and listened closely as he knelt before them. "You two have far greater potential than I ever did. I have no doubt you will both do great things on your own, but together you can truly change this world. Risse may be the one who will ascend to the throne, but all of you were born to be kings." He reached out and wrapped the two in a hug before standing up.

"I agree completely," said Zek, "however, we have more important things to worry about at the moment. My date with a certain court herbalist, for instance."

"An herbalist who may very well plant you in the ground," said Aero.

"Oh, if only I could be so fortunate," said Zek, "and leave the puns to the professionals. Now, come on! I said you were gonna be my wingman, didn't I? It's time to see what the night has in store!"

-x-

Dunden wasn't particularly fond of escorts. This was especially true when said escorts were escorting him to a cell. He still wasn't fully able to walk right and two cards had to hold him up by his arms while his hands were put in metal cuffs. He knew this wouldn't truly stop him from being able to Grip, but it would certainly make it more difficult.

The group of four guards continued to march on with their prisoner. Each held some variation of a gun or blade, but Dunden was only interested in what he could use to fight them off once he got loose. He decided to test his reserves and struggle a bit against the restraints, but he quickly found himself unable to continue. Part of it was the exhaustion he felt. The other part was the feeling of an electric shock coming from the cuffs.

"There's no use fighting," one of the guards said. "Keep moving."

Dunden picked up the pace a bit when his attention was turned to two guards walking a man in a white suit and orange hair on the other side of the hall. The two made eye contact for a moment and the man smirked before moving on.

Eventually, they reached a room with nothing but a table, a lamp and two chairs inside. Dunden may have never seen a movie, but he recognized the scene as one of Summer's "crime flick" cliches. Still, at least he knew what was coming next.

The guards sat him down in one of chairs and all left the room, leaving Dunden alone with his thoughts. Personally, he was a bit embarrassed about having been captured. His mind still replayed the battle before he was knocked out. Whoever that girl, Penny, was, or _whatever_ she was, she could be important to a future plan.

Dunden had no way of knowing how much time had passed since he was left in the room and, frankly, was starting to get bored. Though his face always looked unamused, he was far from unfeeling. For example, he could still feel the Shard's power inside him, amplifying his aura and driving him to do things he would never…

The boy's thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, revealing the man he had spoken to at the base, holding a cup in his hand.

"Hello, General Ironwood." The general looked intently at him with an intimidating face, like he was searching for any crack in the surface. Dunden wasn't giving him the satisfaction.

"Hello," he said, taking his seat. "I'm sorry, but I don't know your name. Would you mind telling me?"

"I appreciate your basic understanding of this game," Dunden said, "but it appears you aren't very experienced in the ways of interrogation."

"Oh," said Ironwood, feining shock, "and what makes you say that?"

 **"Your obvious desire to** _ **know**_. **"**

"Would you mind repeating that?"

"Exactly."

Dunden could tell Ironwood was having a moment of frustration. He pulled out a silver flask from his jacket and poured the contents into his drink. The general swallowed a swig and remained silent for a moment.

"You are in the custody of the world's strongest military force," he finally said. "Do you know what that means?"

"It means I'm being held by those trusted by the girl who defeated me. Personally, you hardly have the strength of an army. Don't make it seem like the power is your own." The general winced at this and took another sip from his cup.

" _It means_ ," he said sternly, "that you are under the authority of the Kingdom of Atlas and are being charged with crimes against her people. You will pay for what you've done."

"And what exactly have I done?"

Ironwood smashed his cup onto the table, causing shards and brown liquid to splatter everywhere. The general leaned in close to the boy, all-too-obviously trying to scare him.

"You're a terrorist and an attempted murderer. You attacked a military base while unprovoked and nearly killed several of my men. I don't know what you did to them, but I am going to find out. Now."

Dunden paused for a moment and tried to process the information he'd been given.

"What do you mean by _nearly_?"

"Exactly what I meant by it," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Those soldiers have undergone some sort of metamorphosis and I know you are the cause. There aura is so low, they should be dead, but they aren't. Instead, they're in comas. I'm going to find out what happened to them and what the cure is. You are going to tell me."

His expression didn't show it, but Dunden was genuinely shocked by the news and couldn't make sense of what had happened. As a rule, Fractals were dead. Omega should have completely overcome whatever piece of the person was left. Maybe having just one piece wasn't enough to complete the transformation. It would certainly explain why the tails hadn't started forming, but that still didn't explain how they could have physically survived the Grimm attack. He ordered the Deathworms to kill them all. Regardless of being Fractals or not, they shouldn't have been alive.

"Well," said the general impatiently, "are you going to talk?"

Dunden remained silent.

Frustrated, Ironwood pulled a small, violet stone from his pocket and laid it on the table.

"Do you know what this is?"

Silence.

"Whatever this is, it's energy reading is similar to what was found in my men. It is unlike any Dust crystal ever found. We can't identify a type and any aura sent into it almost seems to disappear. We believe you were in possession of this stone when you apprehended. I believe it's the key to what you did to my men. Care to affirm me?"

"You can make a living machine," Dunden finally said, "but you don't understand what is right in front of you. You're truly pathetic." He felt the Shard's power slowly flow into him. Even at a distance, the energy was easy to sense if it was close enough. It wouldn't be enough to attack, but he felt his thoughts focus.

The general, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode.

"Who...are...you?" His voice sounded like a low growl, but this assured Dunden of the truth even more. The man in front of him had too much pride and not enough foresight, one of the easiest kinds of people to manipulate.

"Who am I? Am I correct in assuming you don't know who I am or where I'm from?"

The general just stared at him.

"Who I am is not what's important. What matters is what my being here means."  
"Explain."

"Even I'm not sure on the specifics, but I can say for certain that I am not supposed to be here. Was it fate? Was I simply caught in the wake of others? Who knows? Not me. You want answers, general. I do to, but you won't find them here."

Ironwood gritted his teeth, put the stone back in his pocket and made his way over to the door. He opened it up and allowed the guards to pick Dunden up and lead him back into the hallway.

"We'll continue this session at another time," said Ironwood. He put his hands behind his back and walked away in obvious dissatisfaction.

The group made their way to a large room with several holding cells lined up along the sides. A large window at the end revealed a large castle in the distance that reminded Dunden of his own home. They reached the other side and lead Dunden into one of the small compartments. The doors locked behind him and he walked forward to sit down on the bench he was provided and collected his thoughts.

The interrogation could've gone better, but Dunden did what he felt he needed to do. The poor fool didn't even realize he was being influenced by the Omega. His rage and aggression were far too high over such little matters. Their chat would certainly be continued, but, at the moment, Dunden was still pondering the state of the soldiers.

"Hello," came a voice from the cell next to him. "Remnant to emo boy? Anybody gonna pick up?"

"Who are you?"

"Who? Me? None other than _the_ Roman Torchwick, criminal extraordinaire, at your service."

"I'm not interested in any service you could offer me," said Dunden. "You sound like a fool."

"Oh yeah? Well, could a fool pull off the biggest heists of the last century?"

"If he had help, yes." Dunden waited a moment for a response, but he heard nothing besides some low grumbling. He didn't need to say anything else on the subject. This Torchwick person was obviously involved in something bigger.

"Of course," he continued, "I'm sure you managed to get captured all by yourself."

"Hey," Torchwick said with a bit of anger, "I'll have you know this isn't exactly my first prison sentence. The crimes were a bit bigger, but I doubt I'll be here much longer."

"Are you planning an escape?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he said with a laugh. It was painfully obvious the man had some sort of escape plan hatched. He was far too calm for it to be his own plan, though. Dunden, though sure he could get out of his cell, still hadn't thought of a way past the swarms of troopers around the halls. He could still use his semblance, but he needed his hands if we wanted to wield his blade. Besides, there was something a mental block when it came to Gripping. Imagining being able to hold an object was key to lifting it. Raising his arms made focusing much easier than just using his mind. It was the same way for Aero, but Egil, Halos and Rize had broken past the need.

"So, Violet," Torchwick said mockingly, "how'd a kid like you end up here? Did you kill someone?"

"Believe it or not," he said, "I thought I did."

-x-

"Do we have too?"

Cinder was annoyed at Mercury and Emerald's whining, though she completely understood why they felt the need to complain. Still, they shouldn't have questioned her. She glared at the two and both of them fell silent on their beds.

"Like it or not," Cinder replied, "Roman is a major connection to the underworld. I'd rather not spend time building up a base when one has already been built for me."

A moment later, a call came through on her Scroll from another important contact. She accepted the call and a mask wearing faunus appeared on the screen.

"Adam," she said, "so good to see you. Anything to report?"

"The recruitment in Atlas has gone up significantly," the bull faunus said. "It seems the attack on Vale has emboldened quite a few faunus into acting. We've even had some of the rarer species start to join. Several of the larger reptiles, an eagle, and one very angry rhino joined just yesterday."

"Excellent," she replied. "Continue preparing for the returning students. Many of them have are having varied thoughts about their safety. We need them to know they aren't safe anywhere."

"Understood. I'll return to Vale when I'm done here." The call ended and Cinder returned her focus to her side project. According to the report she intercepted, the boy who attacked the base was captured and currently being held in Ironwood's airship. Other parts of the report mentioned the soldiers involved in the incident had been afflicted with what seemed like a flesh altering disease, but all them were unresponsive.

"I believe your mission may have to change slightly," Cinder said.

"So, we don't have to break that idiot out," asked Mercury.

"Roman is still the primary objective, but now you have another target. Find the boy we discussed earlier and take him as well."

"What if he doesn't want to come with us? We don't know much about him." Emerald did have a point, but Cinder already had her mind made up. The boy was an interesting development, one she wasn't going to let slip through her fingers.

"If he doesn't want to cooperate," she said, lighting a small fire in her hand, "then simply give him a reason too."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! It's story time, in more ways than one. As always, favorite, follow and comment your thoughts on the story. If you have questions, I'll be more than happy to answer, but no spoilers ;) Enjoy the next chapter!**

"First things first," said Zek, "you've gotta go get Spitfire."

Aero could see Zek was trying to keep a straight face as he brought out the newest addition to his teasing arsenal. The prince looked across the crowds to see Dunden standing next to Risse, talking with some of his lieutenants stationed around Totum. Aero made eye contact with his twin for just a moment, just long enough for Dunden to see the mock anger in his eyes. Dunden just nodded, much to Aero's annoyance.

Zek moved himself in front of Aero's vision, a sly grin on his face. Aero just sighed and prepared himself for whatever Zek had planned.

"So," Aero asked, "why don't we go get Jen first?"

"Because she's with the nobles," Zek answered. "You know how they are. Especially her dad."

Aero was forced to admit the truth in Zek's words. Most of the "noble" families in Totum were once loyal to Egil, or at least pleased him enough that he allowed them greater social status. Many of the leaders remained in power after Halos ascended to the throne, but were known for bearing grudges against those in Egil's line, for far more than one reason. They would still respect Aero if he approached them, but convincing Jen's father to let her come with them was another story.

"Ok," said Aero. "We'll go get Quinn first."

"Oh, no," said Zek. "There is no "we" in that part of the operation."

"What are you talking about?"

"Listen, Aero. You're gonna have to take the initiative if you want your date to work out."

"What about you then?!" Aero's face reddened in anger and embarrassment. "Why don't you man up and go talk to Jen?"

Zek's face dropped a bit at the prince's words. Aero immediately felt regret for having asked something he already knew the answer too. The nobles were bad enough for Aero, but he knew Zek's family was outright despised by most of them. He didn't want the past to be brought up.

"I-I'm sorry, Zek," he said apologetically. "I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean for it to come out like..."

It wasn't another second later that Aero felt a punch on the shoulder. He looked to see Zek smiling, wide as ever.

"I know what you meant, brother," he said with a laugh. "Now, meet me here after you go get your girl!"

Aero sighed, but wore a small smile as he walked away from Zek in the direction he saw Quinn at earlier. The blonde felt a small weight in his chest from what he said to Zek though. Though they'd only known each other for a few years, the two were still the best of friends. He felt he should have chosen his words better though.

All of those thoughts went away, however, when Aero finally found who he was looking for. Between the shifting bodies of the masses, he saw very distinct, flame-red locks of hair flowing a bit in the wind. As he got closer, he could clearly make out his supposed "date" and he found his mind going a bit fuzzy when he saw her attire.

Like most of the female patrons that night, Quinn was wearing a short, festive looking dress. It had melding layers of orange and white flowing across the fabric, making her stand out against the darker colored clothes of those around her. Aero felt a little kick in stomach, but he somehow managed to make his way toward the girl on legs made of jelly. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, but, luckily for him, Flint seemed to materialize next to her and waved as Aero came closer.

"Aero, my boy," he said. "Come to mingle with the lower class on your highnesses' birthday?"

"Well," said Aero with a fake, snobbish voice, "I suppose even those of my standing can afford to dabble in the rabble from time to time."

"I hope you find our humble company to your liking, your lordship." Flint started to bow before standing up and slapping Aero on the shoulder with a laugh.

"Say," he continued, "what's this I see?" He pointed toward the silver crystal hanging off Aero's neck.

"A birthday present," Aero said. "One I'll have to return, but still a present."

"Well, I'd enjoy something that special to fullest while you can. Isn't that right, Quinn?"

The redheaded girl straightened up a bit at the mention of her name. She hadn't even been looking at the two while they talked, giving Aero the impression his being there may have upset her.

"I guess."

"Well," Flint said, "I suppose you should have no trouble tonight with that thing around your neck. I'd say Quinn's in good hands tonight."

Both teens faces lit up at Flint's words. Honestly, part of Aero was hoping Flint thought the whole thing was kind of a joke.

"If you need me, I'll be over at the pub with some of my workers." The man bent down and whispered into Aero's ear. "Be back before 10 or I'll use you to test our swords."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Good," he said as he stood back up. "Have fun you two!"

Aero and Quinn's watched as Flint just up and walked away, leaving the two alone in the crowd. They glanced at each other with an awkward silence taking hold.

"You look great tonight," Aero said, trying to break the silence. Quinn crossed her arms and turned to the side.

"You shouldn't say weird things like that so suddenly," she said sternly.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be," she said, looking him in the eyes. Her voice sounded tough and her expression looked mean, but Aero didn't feel any threatening aura coming from the girl in front of him. "So, do you wanna go see the stands or something?"

"Actually, we have to go see Zek real quick." Quinn's scowl deepened at the mention of their idiot friend.

"We're gonna get Jen," Aero added quickly, causing Quinn's face to brighten up a bit. Though he hadn't known Zek for an extremely long time, Aero had known both girls since he was born. Quinn had no objection to helping her friend.

The two walked side by side back to where Aero left Zek. Quinn was staying very close to Aero's side, which made the blonde tense up a bit. He looked to the side to see Summer scarfing down a bag of candy across the way. She gave Aero a thumbs up and big smile, relaxing the boy a bit.

"There you two are!" Aero and Quinn straightened up in shock at the loud, obviously nervous sound in Zek's voice. "I've been waiting forever!"

"It's been two minutes."

"Too long!"

"Oh, please," said Quinn.

"Anyway," said Aero, "are you gonna come with us?"

Zek looked toward the crowd of high class men and woman before them. Near the middle, they could make out earthy-brown locks of their friend. The normally outgoing Zek took one step forward, then two steps back and started nervously rubbing Zeta.

"Alright," he finally said.

The trio made their way through the crowd of noblemen. They started moving to the side as Aero passed by them, some scowling, but many bowing, and eventually made it to Jen's location. She was standing next to her father, the (in)famous Damek, looking like she was about to fall asleep.

"Jen," shouted the redhead happily, shocking Aero with the change in emotion.

The girl turned her attention over to the group, her expression incredibly bored and her eyes practically begging "Please save me."

"Mmhm," Aero coughed, getting the attention of Damek and the man he was speaking too. The distaste in his eyes was obvious, but he still bowed respectfully.

"Prince Aero," he said, "I am honored to make your acquaintance tonight, even if you have others in your… company."

Zek stepped behind Aero and Quinn, not wanting to be brought up again.

"So," he continued, "how may I help you."

"Well," said Aero, "if I recall correctly, many of the other visiting houses paid tribute to my father in the way of gifts for my brother and I. Yours did not. While this is hardly an offense, I would request that your daughter, Jenneviere, be allowed to celebrate with me tonight."

Damek's face tightened a bit at the prince's words. Personally, Aero hated over-the-top formalities, but he was still royalty. He knew how to project his words.

"Very well," said the lord. "She may go with you, your highness. I believe the presence of one who bears a Shard," he said, looking at Beta, "should be more than enough protection."

"Your right," Aero said, "though it isn't just one. The Epsilon and Zeta are here too." The boy looked down and could clearly see the yellow ring on Jen's finger. "Now, we'll be on our way."

Jen left her father's side, bowing to him as she moved, and quickly left with the trio. Aero looked back and saw Damek staring him down, though he realized the person he was actually looking at was Zek.

"Thank you all," Jen said. "There was no one among them I could relate too."

"We weren't just gonna leave you alone to die of boredom," said Quinn.

"Again," she said, "thank you. So, what are the plans for tonight?"

"Actually," said Quinn, grabbing Aero's hand. "Aero and I have something to take care of a bit down the street. We'll see you two later." With that the redhead pulled the blushing blonde away from his friends, who looked just as shocked as he did.

"Umm...," he said, unable to properly think as he got dragged along.

"You remember what Summer said, don't you?" Her head was facing forward, preventing Aero from seeing it.

"Umm…"

"We're supposed to have fun tonight," she said turning around. Though her face was bright red, she was wearing a genuine smile, something Aero rarely got to see. "That means you're just gonna have to keep me entertained. If you're even able to, that is." Her smile turned to a bubbly grin and she laughed as she pulled the captive prince through the streets. Aero finally sighed and put on a smile of his own.

"Well, alright then," he said pulling ahead of her, "Spitfire."

-x-

"Can anyone here tell me what creature is called "King of the Grimm?"

Ruby excitedy waved her hand in the air, surprising her teammates. It was rare Ruby ever got involved in a lecture, but no one blamed her. When most lectures were about Professor Port recounting his "heroic" past, most students found sleeping to be the preferred alternative to listening.

"Ms. Rose," said the professor.

"The Drake," she said.

"That is correct, Ruby."

"Oh, please," came a voice from the back. "Are we gonna learn about fairy tales now?"

Like most students, Cardin Winchester rarely contributed in class, but his case was different. Everyone knew Cardin was just a lazy jerk, always ready to cause a bit of trouble. Ruby had thought Jaune putting him in his place earlier that year would have knocked his ego down a little, but he largely remained the same bully as before.

"As a matter of fact," said the professor, "we are, unless you'd like one final pop quiz, Mr. Winchester. Ms. Rose, would you mind telling the class about the Drake?"

"It's a legendary Grimm," she said. "The stories say it was even bigger than the Goliath and could make windstorms when it flapped it's wings. A lot them even said it could breath fire, but there's no real way of knowing today."

"Correct again," said the professor. "The point of talking about this creature is to understand how we gain knowledge about the Grimm species. If the Drake did in fact once roam Remnant's skies, we do not know, but the sheer amount of stories pertaining to this monster lend evidence to say something like it must have existed once. In fact, does anyone else have a story about the monster?"

Ruby's head turned to the side as the boy beside her raised his hand. Aero said he had explored the grounds twice over in the past few days and wanted to see more about how Beacon operated. Ozpin had told every teacher the boy had a special condition for being there, but, apparently, he hadn't gone into much detail.

"Ah, Aero," said Port. "It would be a nice change to hear a new voice in my classroom, even though tomorrow is the last day."

"My village has many legends about the Drake. Our most famous is about Egil and Ziz."

"I can't say I've ever heard of that one," said the professor.

"It's one we like to keep to ourselves. In the legend, one of our former leaders, a man called Egil, once traveled north across the sea to the mountains of Atlas. Egil had heard about a flying monster attacking many of the settlements near its nest, driving all the survivors from their homes. He set out to kill the beast."

"He sounds like quite the hero," added Port. Aero's expression dropped a bit, but continued telling his story as Ruby listened intently.

"That's one way of looking at him, yes. Anyway, Egil eventually reached the land and set out to find the monster's nest, alone. He traveled until he saw a smokestack rising from one of the mountains, a sign that the beast was sleeping. Climbing the mountain, Egil found the Drake's lair and went in to face the monster. He stirred it from it's sleep by drawing blood from his own hand, causing the Grimm to open its eyes at the smell of its next victim."

"Egil walked forward, sword in hand, and addressed the beast. "Who are you," he said, and…"

"Holy crap," Cardin said as he started laughing. "Are the Grimm able to talk now?"

"If you listen hard enough," said Aero, "yes. Anyway, the Grimm _did_ respond. He told Egil his name was Ziz and that he had ruled those mountains for centuries, even before the moon was shattered. In that time, no young Drake had been able to claim his territory. Ziz commended Egil for being brave enough to face him and promised him a quick death."

"Egil, however, had his own plans. As Ziz started to attack, Egil used his power to rattle the mountain, causing the ceiling to come down on Ziz's head. This didn't stop the beast though. He got up, flew into the air and charged down at Egil. The men who sailed with him said flames and thunder could be seen and heard even from the shoreline. The monster's feathered wings created gusts that churned up the sea. An hour passed and still there was no end to the battle."

"Eventually, Ziz made a mistake. He tried to swallow Egil and burn him in his throat, but knocked his way out the Drake's teeth, crawled on his head and slashed his right horn off. The monster fell down in pain and Egil prepared to drive his sword into its neck. He could have killed him, but instead decided to let the beast live. He looked Ziz in the eye and claimed he had bested him. From that point on, Ziz would call Egil "Master" and would answer Egil's call should he make it. Egil left Ziz on the mountain, taking some of Ziz's possessions, and returned back to his country, where the people gave him the title "Drake," because he beat the King of Grimm. His son was called this as well, and all respected their power."

Aero finished his story right as the bell sounded.

"It seems we're out of time," said Professor Port. "Thank you for the entertaining story, Aero. I'll be sure to remember it for next year. For those I don't see tomorrow, I hope you all have a great summer."

The students all got up and walked out the room. Ruby heard Cardin snickering with his teammates as Aero walked by, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to them.

"So," said Ruby, "was a true story?!"

Aero laughed a bit, embarrassing Ruby, who thought she may have sounded a bit too excited.

"Most of it," he said. "I left out some parts and added others, but the story was basically the same. I had to adjust it for the audience."

"That guy really beat a talking monster dragon then," said Yang.

"Well," he said, "kind of. It's more like a dragon mixed with a bird, but yeah."

"He sounded awesome," said Ruby adoringly. She looked at Aero and saw Aero's expression change a bit.

"Awesome" is one word for him."

"Did you ever see a Drake?"

"Ruby," said Weiss, "I hate to interrupt but we need to get to combat training. Our last test is today and Aero has to meet with Dr. Oobleck." Realizing the truth, Ruby jumped a bit and slapped herself in the head for getting wrapped up in a story.

"Sorry, Aero," she said.

"It's alright, Little Speedster," he said with a laugh. He quickly looked side to side and motioned Ruby to lean in.

"I haven't seen one," he whispered, "but they say if you go to Ziz's mountain when the moon is shattered, you can still see him shoot flames that burn so bright, they turn night into day."

Ruby was about to start fangirling again when she felt a tug on her hood. Yang and Blake decided they didn't want to be late and started dragging Ruby away on the ground. Her face turned red at the situation and she waved at Aero with a nervous smile. He returned the wave and turned around to walk to Oobleck's office.

"So," said Blake, "you never told Weiss and I how it went with your dad."

"Yeah," said Weiss. "So tell us, Speedster. Is the noble prince allowed to visit your castle?"

Ruby pulled herself up and started playing with her fingers.

"Yeah," she said. "About that…"


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, guys! It's graduation day... kind of. I wish anyway :( Fun Fact though: when writing a paper about how Red Riding Hood develops socially, RWBY is apparently a valid source to cite. Go figure. It helped my grade quite a bit actually, but I digress. Anyway, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and questions about the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

One universal fact about school is that all students dream of the day the final bell rings. For Ruby, that day was finally here, but she didn't feel as happy about the school year ending as she would have liked too. She opened her eyes after a night of restless sleep and looked across her room.

Ruby could make out Blake and Yang sprawled out in their beds and assumed that, because the clock said 6:30, Weiss was still passed out as well. The girl hopped out of her hanging bunk, positive she wouldn't be getting back to sleep, and decided to finish packing her bags. As walked over to the pile of suitcases in the corners, she felt a cold, wet sensation on the back of her leg. She turned around to see a four-legged furball looking at her with his tongue hanging out.

"You're ready to go home to, aren't ya?" The girl bent down and pet the dog on his head.

"You'd better get back to Weiss, Zwei," she continued, seeing her partner start to reach for the canine in her sleep. The puppy then jumped up onto the heiress' bunk and curled himself in a ball. Weiss curled up around the dog, giving Ruby a small smile.

As the Huntress-in-training finished packing up her remaining belongings, she picked up her weapon of choice, her precious Crescent Rose, and decided to do some maintenance. She only had a few proper tools to work with in her dorm and looked forward to visiting Signal's forge, where she first made her "sweetheart," to do some work on the scythe.

Sitting on the floor, Ruby inspected every facet of the machine. She tightened every bolt, checked every lock and even shined the blade, allowing her to see her reflection. The whole process reminded her of the hours of labor she went through to design and construct her weapon in the first place. Luckily for her, her uncle was ever present to offer any advice she needed.

The same uncle who she would be seeing that afternoon.

Ruby dropped back on the ground, regretting that she'd allowed her fears to creep up on her again. She was extremely excited about seeing her dad and uncle again, but she was terrified of the circumstances. How was she even supposed to bring the matter up?

 _Dad! Uncle Qrow! I'm so happy to see you again! By the way, this is Aero. You know, the boy who says he's from the past and knows Mom and brought her back to the past and then fought a bad guy for magic stones and got sent forward in time and crashed into me in the woods and is super nice and needs a place to stay so can he please stay with us now that you've met him?_

For some reason, Ruby didn't think that would work.

The girl sighed, curled up on her side and closed her eyes, dreading that her father might say "no." After their talk earlier, Taiyang, obviously, had trouble believing the story. If it wasn't for Yang's input, Ruby might not have even gotten her "maybe."

Ruby opened her eyes and saw a white garment under a pile of Yang's unpacked clothes. She reached out and grabbed it, knowing full well what it was. Still unsure of how to feel about the situation, Ruby just ran her fingers across the fabric and thought about her mother.

The images were blurry, but the sensations she remembered were crystal clear. Ruby remembered being curled up next to her mother in bed one night, eating a plate of cookies and feeling excited about receiving her first hood as a birthday gift. Eventually, she couldn't keep her heavy eyes open and drifted off to sleep in a sea of white, all while feeling Summer's warm embrace wrapped around her.

Not fully realizing what she was doing, Ruby pulled the white hood over her head and fastened it around her neck. She picked up Crescent Rose and looked at her reflection, almost forgetting it was her own eyes and not her mother's looking back at her. There was a bittersweet smile in the reflection as she touched the surface of the blade.

She laughed a bit to herself once she realized what she was doing. The last time she tried on someone else's stuff, Aero had crashed into her. Again. And then he blacked out. Again. Ruby half-expected the boy to come flying through the door any second now for some crazy reason, but found a bit of comfort when she thought about him.

Weiss would probably have some input in the matter, but Ruby had to admit she felt happy around Aero. Something about him made Ruby feel secure, despite the nerve-racking craziness of the whole situation. To her, it was almost like being with her mother again, but something felt different, like she…

"Ruby."

The hooded girl jumped a bit at the sound of her sister's sleepy voice. Her eyes were slowly making their way open and Ruby used that little amount of time to quickly take the hood off and return it to Yang's pile.

"Morning, Yang."

"What," she said before yawing, "are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing," Ruby said nervously. "Just finishing up my packing. I don't want to forget anything."

"Yeah," said Yang, still half-asleep. "I've gotta finish that too. Did you make sure you packed all your underwear?"

"Yang!" The brawler just laughed at her sister's embarrassed outburst while the W and B of Team RWBY started to stir from the commotion.

"What are you two doing," said Weiss, rubbing her eyes before looking at her clock. "It's 6:50. I've still got 10 more minutes of beauty sleep."  
"And I," said Blake, but that was all she could say before nearly falling asleep sitting up. She started to fall over a second later and jolted awake again. "Huh? What?"

"Come on guys," said Ruby. "It's a big day. Let's start it off on a high note!"

In response, Weiss and Blake just sleepily glared at their young leader.

"It's also the day the transfer student's are going home," said Yang, "so get your butts out of bed and get moving!"

Weiss finally submitted and rose from her bed, but Blake couldn't find the strength and fell back down on her pillow.

"It's also the day the cafeteria cleans out," Yang continued.

"So," said Blake. Ruby walked over and whispered in her cat ears.

"All the tuna you can eat."

At this, the faunus silently rose from the bed to change, not meeting the gaze of any of her teammates, especially the smirking Yang.

"Works every time."

-x-

"You need to calm down," said Qrow.

"Calm? Calm?! How am I supposed to act calm?!"

"Well, you can start by lowering your voice. People are staring."

Taiyang looked around and, indeed, his outburst was getting a little more attention than he thought it would. The graduation ceremony always brought in the crowds, but the brawler hadn't personally been to one since his own years ago.

"Still," said the blonde as they continued through the crowd, "how am I supposed to handle this?"

"Is 'with-a-little-less-screaming' an option?"

"Seriously, you old bird, what am I gonna do?"

"Look," said Qrow, "I know you want to protect them. I do to, but we need to investigate a little more before making any judgements on the boy. We haven't even met him yet, but it seems you won't have to wait very long before that changes."

The caped man pointed forward in the crowd to Ruby and Yang standing next to, who the men assumed, was the boy in question. They were talking to a ginger girl in a pink bow for a second, but she hastily left a moment later.

"You ready," asked Qrow.

"Just one last question."

"Which is…?

"If he's not who he says he is, is it alright for me to kick the ever-living crap out of him?"

Qrow's expression grew deadly serious.

"Not unless I get to help."

-x-

"You need to calm down," said Yang.

"Calm? Calm?! How am I supposed to act calm?!"

"Well, you can start by lowering your voice. People are staring."

Ruby looked around to see the faces of parents and students looking at her. She put up her food so they couldn't see her red face.

Because, obviously, putting on a bright red hood is the best way to avoid attention.

"Sis," said Yang, pulling her sister's hood down, "I get that you're nervous, but I'm sure it will all work out. It's not like Dad's really gonna turn Aero away." The blonde smiled at her little sister before looking around the courtyard. "Speaking of which, where the heck is he?"

"Dad or Aero?"

"Yes."

Ruby looked around the crowd, trying to figure out where either of them were. She spied Blake and Weiss talking to Sun and Neptune. It hadn't really dawned on Ruby yet that some of her friends really were leaving today. There was a chance they could meet up again later, especially with Mistral holding the next international festival the following spring, but it would still be a long time.

"Ruby."

Speaking of friends, the hooded girl turned around to see a familiar cybernetic girl with a nervous smile on her face.

"Penny," Ruby said excitedly. "I was hoping to see you today."

"R-really?"

"Of course, I wanted to see you before we all went home."

"Oh," Penny said in a flat tone. "Right."

Ruby could tell from her friends face that she was upset. She knew Penny didn't have any friends back home, so Ruby decided to try and cheer her up.

"You know," said Ruby, "if it's alright with your dad, we can still keep in touch. You can even come visit us if you want."

"Y-you weren't just gonna… forget me?"

Ruby was taken aback by her friend's words. Normally, Penny was friendly and excitable, but it was obvious something was wearing her down.

"Forget you? We're friends, Penny. There's no way I could forget you."

It wasn't a second later that Ruby felt a crushing force wrap around her body. The girl was caught up in a robotic bear hug, but, in spite of the fact she was having trouble breathing, she was happy to see her friend cheered up.

"Hey, Penny," she said between breaths. "What's with this thing on your neck?" The android let go of Ruby, who was looking at an off color patch of skin above Penny's shoulder..

"Oh," said Penny, "I, uh, got hurt a few days ago. It's nothing serious. Just a scratch that needed patching up." Ruby noticed her friend hiccup as she finished her sentence.

"Wait," Ruby said, obviously concerned. "You were hurt? Doing what?"

"I… well, I was… it… I'm not really supposed to…"

The ginger stopped whatever she was staying and stared forward, her eyes visibly shrinking. Ruby was confused for a moment and looked behind her to see what might be scaring Penny, but the only thing she saw was Aero walking their way.

"There you are," said Yang. "It's about time you showed up. I was starting to feel like a third wheel here."

"Sorry. I was talking to Dr. Oobleck about something. He says he's starting a research paper and wants my input on it. Something about primary sources or whatever."

"Sounds fun."

"Oh, and I apologise. I don't think we've met," he said, turning to Penny. "My name is Aero, Son of Halos. And you are?"

"P-Penny."

Ruby could hear something wrong with Penny's voice. She sounded extremely nervous. In fact, if Ruby didn't know any better, she'd say that Penny almost sounded afraid.

"It's nice to meet you," he said with a bow.

"It's n-n-nice to meet you t-t-too."

"Penny," said Ruby, "are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah," she said, still sounding strange. "Excuse me. I've got to get back to my father. I'll see you later, guys."

With that, the girl took off into the crowd, disappearing from Ruby's sight.

"Did she seem weird to you," said Ruby, looking at Yang.

"We are talking about Penny, right?"

"Good point. Sorry about her, Aero. That's just Penny."

"It's alright," he said. "After spending more than five minutes with Zek, your standards of weird change quite a bit."

"Who's Zek," asked Yang.

"He's my…"

"Dad!"

Ruby jumped up as she saw her father walking toward them. She ran up to him and leaped into a hug with a massive smile on her face.

"I'm so happy to see you," said Ruby.

"Hey," said Yang, who picked up both of them in her arms, "don't forget me."

"Well," Taiyang said as his daughter let them down, "you've certainly gotten stronger, Yang."

"Why thank you. I have been hittin' the gym a bit lately," she said as she struck a few muscular poses.

"You may be able to beat your father in a game of arm-wrestling at this rate."

"Uncle Qrow!"

"In the flesh," the man said with a smile. "It's nice to see you two again."

Ruby felt so happy to finally see her family after so long, but she couldn't help feeling that she'd forgotten something in the moment. Something important. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"And who are you, young man," she heard her father say.

Oh, right. That little problem.

"I'm…"

"This is Aero, dad," Ruby said, jumping in front of the boy. "You know the boy who's with the thing, yeah, and home with the...the… the… okay." The girl could feel the awkward looks around her and buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment, which only made her more embarrassed. She tried to help Aero with his first impression, but ended up not being able to keep her train of thought steady.

"That's one way to be introduced," Aero said with a laugh. Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see the boy smiling at her.

"Like Ruby said, my name is Aero, Son of Halos," he said with a bow. "I'm honored to meet you, Mr. Xiao Long."

"It's nice to meet you too," the man said as he reached out for a handshake. Aero returned the gesture, but Ruby could practically see her dad crush the boy's hand in his grip.

"So," he continued, "I've heard a lot about you, Aero, though I'm not sure how much of it I believe."

"Dad," Ruby said, "don't you think we could talk about this when there's a few less people around?"

"Good idea," said Qrow. "This does seem like a private matter. Besides, the ceremony is going to start any minute now. We can handle this on our way out."

"And I'm losing feeling in my hand."

"Oh," said Taiyang, "sorry about that. I guess I don't know my own strength."

"It's okay. Once, one of my friends nearly destroyed the foundation of the building we were in by taking too heavy a step. Now, _that's_ not knowing your own strength, but she did get better control eventually. I guess picking flowers teaches someone to be little more gentle, though she could still shatter a femur with her pinkie if she wanted too."

"Oh," said Taiyang, "that's...uh…"

"Attention," said Professor Goodwitch's voice over the intercom. "Please make your way into the stadium. The graduation ceremony is about to begin."

"Sounds like our cue," said Yang. "Let's get a move on."

-x-

"There he is," said Mercury, looking toward the blonde swordsman's direction.

"Looks like he's with some Huntsmen. Cinder," Emerald said, touching her ear piece.

"Continue scouting him. Find out anything you can."

"Alright," the green-haired girl said, ending the communication. "I still don't get why she thinks this kid is important. So he looks like someone else? Big whoop."

"You do realize he's probably our age, right? Not just a kid?"

"You know what I mean."

"Fine," said Mercury with a sigh. "Let's just follow him. Maybe we'll find out something worth knowing." The continued toward their target, when Emerald had a thought.

"Hey," she said, getting her partner's attention. "How old do you think Cinder is?"

"She's, uh… actually, I'm not sure on that."

"She seems….young."

"But, like, how young?"

"She's older than us, right?"

"I think, maybe. She looks older."

"But also not. Maybe the same?"

"Yeah, but then again…"

-x-

Cinder was looking over the blueprints in front of her, trying to find the best way to kill two birds with one stone. Both objectives were supposedly being held very close to one another, making one part of her plan easier. Based on her data, however, getting both out was going to be the difficult part.

She opened her scroll and searched through a list of the airship's schematics. Military grade armor, weapons and scanners were obviously included, but the defense's seemed clustered more on the perimeter of the vessel. Guards regularly patrolled the inside, making stealth her best option.

Amongst her findings, she also found a newly attached file on the boy, listed with higher confidentiality than the boy himself. In it were several pictures of Atlesian soldiers, but all them seemed to have horrible deformities. Their pigments had altered, their teeth had sharpened and patches of a crystal like substance were covering their bodies. They were all in some form of coma, though no information was given on what happened to them. The only clue was a picture of a purple gem above the words: ONGOING ANALYSIS.

 _It seems I was right in taking an interest in him._

She looked out her window, toward the stadium filled with newly-graduated Huntsmen. Far in the distance behind that, Ironwood's war-machine hovered over the skies of Vale. Soon, it would return to Atlas, providing an opportune time for her to make her move.

 _In fact, this may require a more_ personal _touch._


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! Just a heads up that next week's chapter may be a little late. My schedule just filled up all at once and it's pretty hectic. I'll still try my best to stay on time, but it may come out next Friday instead of Thursday. Hopefully not, but maybe. As always, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and questions on the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

"I'll keep this brief."

The stadium filling row after row turned their eyes and ears to the stage. In the middle of the arena sat the newest graduates of Beacon Academy. In front of them was a long stage with their professors sitting side by sad, all looking proudly at the new crop. The names had been read, and Ozpin waited for the noise of the crowds to die down.

"For the last four years, the men and women before me have been met with hardships, the trials and tribulations of those who wish to defend the world. Through hours of labor, both mentally and physically, they have proven themselves capable enough to be counted among our protectors."

"But be warned. The life you have chosen is not an easy one. From here, your path is forever changed, so much, in fact, that, through your eyes, the world will never again be the same."

He paused for a moment, pushing up his glasses. The crowd was silent.

"Remnant is not safe. From the outside, you will face the monsters who lurk in the shadows. From the inside, you will face those who walk in the day. These forces, both known and unknown, seek to destroy the world we have created and the unity we hope to maintain. Some threats are new…"

He tightened the grip on his cane.

"...and some are far more ancient than we can imagine, but today is a day of celebration. You have done all that was asked of you and I know each of you has the potential to change the darkness in this world. As a wise man once said: Keep moving forward."

He raised up his arm, signaling the graduates to rise from their seats.

"We are the light. People of Remnant, I present to you your newest defenders. I name you: Huntsmen!"

With that, the crowd erupted with music and cheers. The caps were thrown, filling the air with every color the eye could perceive. Ozpin smiled at those in front of him, though painfully aware of the task before them. No details were certain, but the headmaster was fully aware of the storm on the horizon.

What he was not aware of, however, was the impression he had just given to a young boy in the stands. Though centuries separated the two men, Aero could see a bit of his father in Ozpin. His words could be gentle or harsh, but they always held the truth.

Unfortunately, there was one truth Aero was now unable to ignore.

The swordsman sat back in his seat, looking on as those around him. Taiyang and Qrow were on either side of him, but he could see Ruby and the others once they had stood up. The lights and sounds were slowly fading away, however, replaced by the sounds of Totum crashing down around him. In front of him, Halos was laying on the ground, sword in hand, with a trail of blood running down his face. Rize and Summer were behind him, looking at each other with exhausted faces. Summer turned to look at Aero, her eyes widening a bit. The boy ran towards them as a sharp pain surged through his veins. A dark figure appeared in his vision, but the pain was so great his vision became distorted. He was about to cry out when...

"Aero."

The prince was pulled back into reality and found himself looking into a pair of silver eyes.

"Aeeerrrooo."

"Huh," he said, finally snapping back completely. "Oh, uh, yeah?"

"Are you ok? You looked kinda out of it."

"Yeah," he said is an exasperated voice. "Yeah, I-I'm fine."

"Okay," said Ruby, obviously skeptical. "We should get going though. Everyone's gonna start leaving."

Sure enough, the crowds were starting to make their way towards the exits. Aero saw the others in their group had already left their row and were waiting for the two. He must have really been out of reality for a second to not notice.

As they made their way over to the others, Aero felt a cold wave sweep over him. He couldn't tell where it had come from, but the feeling penetrated deep into his soul. He flinched for a second, earning a worried from Ruby, but he smiled and continued on his way. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry.

He looked down at the stadium one last time and recalled Ozpin's words. A part of him thought the man was just being formal, but Aero knew what Ozpin was referring too.

 _Ancient threats, Ozpin?_

He wrapped his hand around Beta, feeling a soothing wave wash over him.

 _ **You have no idea.**_

-x-

"Are you sure you're sure you're okay?"

"Ruby, I'm fine. I promise."

The hooded girl still wasn't completely convinced of the boy's "okayness," but she decided to let it slide for the moment. Everyone else seemed convinced he just fell asleep for a minute during the ceremony. Ruby was trying to convince herself of the same thing, but that was easier said than done.

"The real question is:," said Aero, "is your dad gonna be okay?"

Ruby looked on as her father was putting all of their luggage into the air ship. There were several ships lining the edge of Beacon's docks, each headed for a different destination. The one they were given was much smaller than the others, however, given the number of passengers and the short distance home. All of Team RWBY's suitcases were at the bottom of the loading ramp, waiting to be moved by Taiyang, who offered to move them himself.

"Don't worry," said Yang. "He always gets like this when we fly. It's still pretty embarrassing though."

Ruby had to agree with her sister on that fact. Their father certainly wasn't taking the act of flying well, despite the fact his feet were firmly on the ground. He would pick up a few suitcases at a time, then, ever so slowly, walk up the ramp, put them on the ground, turn around and proceed to run down the ramp as fast as he possibly could, shaking like a scared kitten while Zwei chased him up and down. Qrow had offered to help the man move the luggage quicker, but Taiyang had firmly rejected help, saying he could do it on his own.

"I'm guessing he's scared of heights," said Aero.

"Oh, it's not just heights," said Yang. "Still, he wants to seem extra brave today. I wonder why."

"Me too," said Ruby.

"That was sarcasm, sis."

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"Well," said Aero, "at least he's trying."

"Are you excited to fly again?" Ruby was curious to how Aero would react to being in an airship again. When they went to Vale with Team CFVY, Aero seemed to enjoy the ride, but, strangely enough, didn't seem as excited about it as he was about everything else.

"It's not really flying," he said, "but I'm still looking forward to it."

"Not flying," repeated Yang. "What do you mean "not flying" We're moving in the air aren't we?"

"Just because you're moving in the water, doesn't mean you're swimming. Same goes for flying. Flying is something you do yourself."

"Who told you…" Yang quickly cut off her sentence and looked over Ruby's head. The hooded girl turned around to see Blake and Weiss walking over to them.

"Are we about ready," asked Blake.

"We'll be good to go once Dad finishes packing," said Ruby, "which might be a long time thanks to Weiss."

"It's not my fault I need so many things," said the heiress.

"So," said Yang, "did you say your goodbyes?"

"It's hardly goodbye," said Weiss. "I'll have you know that Neptune and I will be keeping close contact this summer. We have a plan for making this relationship work."

"What about you, Blake? How'd it go with Sun?"

The cat faunus' cheeks lit up a bit at Ruby's words. She turned to the side, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"He said my breath smelled like tuna."

"Speak up, woman," shouted Yang.

"She said he told her that her breath smelled like tuna," said Weiss, causing Blake to blush harder. The heiress leaned in close to Blake, a wicked smile on her face.

"...but he kissed her anyway."

Ruby saw her sister starting to bounce up and down with excitement, eager to hear more about her teammate's lovelife. Fortunately for Blake, who looked like she was going to attack Weiss, and probably Yang if she said anything, Team JNPR was headed in their direction. Before Ruby had time to even wave, however, she felt herself wrapped in a massive squeeze.

"Ooooooh," said Nora, "I wish we could just stay like this forever."

"Nora," said Ren in a gasping voice.

"Please...," said Jaune, "…air…"

"Oh, right. Sorry." The hyperactive, hammer-wielder let her friends out of her massive bearhug, dropping all of them down on the ground with a thud.

"How...," said Weiss between breaths, "...how did... she pick us all…"

"Weiss," said Ruby, catching her breath, "this is Nora."

"True."

"So," Jaune said as he stood up, "I guess this is goodbye for now."

"It won't be for long, Jaune," said Ruby. "I'm sure we'll all get to see each other at some point. If not, there's always next year."

"Uggh," said Weiss. "Please don't mention school right now. I'm ready for a break."

"I think that's something we're all looking forward too," said Pyrrha. "After a year like this, we all need our rest."

"At least next year might be normal," said Ruby, earning raised eyebrows from everyone, save Aero.

"I said "might," didn't I?"

"Hey!" The group turned to the airship, where Taiyang had finally finished loading their belongings. "Let's get a move on! We're burning daylight!"

"Coming," shouted Ruby. "Welp, see you later, guys."

Leaving their friends behind, RWBY, plus one, joined the older Huntsmen on the airship. They all waved back to their friends one last time before the bay doors closed, giving Ruby a bittersweet feeling in her chest.

 _Next stop: home._

-x-

Ozpin watched the airship leave its platform and head toward the West. It was strange for him, seeing his decision play out as it had. When he first encountered Ruby Rose, or at least the first time they had spoken, he wasn't quite sure what to make of her. Her skill was undeniable, but he was genuinely amazed by the girl. Not due to her fighting ability, but by the innocence she retained while living the life of a Huntress. He was only aware of one other person who ever shared that trait, and she had lost faith in it.

Or at least that's what he had believed.

He sat down at his desk, thinking over all that had happened that year. His students were truly remarkable, even those he was fully aware weren't yet suited for the Huntsman's role. To the headmaster, Beacon was not a place students were accepted into because of their past. They were accepted because of their potential, even if it was raw and untapped.

 _Mr. Arc is truly fortunate to have me as his headmaster. Had he tried and been caught lying anywhere else, I doubt the headmaster there would be such a procrastinator when it comes to reports. Oh well._

Ozpin allowed himself a small smile and a sip from his coffee mug. As he put the cup down, he heard the ding of his elevator, followed by an opening set of doors. Out stepped General Ironwood, looking staunch as ever, but somewhat off.

"Hello, General."

"Greetings, Headmaster."

"James," said Ozpin, tired of formalities, "are you feeling alright?"

"Of course," said the general. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I can tell by that look on your face. Something is troubling you."

"Many things, Oz. Many things."

"Would you like to sit down," said Ozpin, gesturing to a chair.

"Thank you," said Ironwood, "but I'm afraid I can't stay long. My students are returning home, some to their own graduation. I can't keep them waiting."

"I understand, but you mustn't push yourself."

"I'm fine."

"James…"

"I said I'm fine!"

Ozpin was taken a bit back by his friends outburst. He was even more shocked by the pain on the general's face as he took out his flask and sipped.

"I'm sorry, Oz," he said, his breathing raspy. "I've just been having some bad headaches recently. They make me a bit agitated."

"It's okay, James. I realize the last few months have been… stressful."

"Yes," he replied. "A lot of things have been said and done. Most of them by me."

"Though we don't always agree, James" said Ozpin, "I know you have the best interests of the people at heart."

"May we continue to keep the people safe, then." He raised up his flask, to which Ozpin raised his mug. They cheered each other before downing their drinks.

"I'm afraid I must take my leave now," said Ironwood. "If you see Glenda, tell her I'm sorry I missed her."

"Of course. Until we meet again, old friend."

"Until we meet again."

With that, Ironwood left towards the elevator. Ozpin waited until the doors shut to collect his thoughts. James seemed stressed, possibly even ill. The stresses of running a school for warriors were not unknown to Ozpin, so, despite the recent friction between them, he wished for his friends' return to health.

Ozpin turned his chair around, looking at the sun getting low on the horizon. Though it wouldn't be dark for a few hours, the Huntsman could feel time start to weigh on him. He was far from an old man, but trouble doesn't discriminate by age. Both present and future would have their own challenges.

And now, it seemed, not even the forgotten past was safe.

-x-

Dunden liked to consider himself patient. He honestly couldn't think of a time when he acted rashly or did something without considering the consequences. Still, he felt a small pull in the back of his mind, like he was forgetting important. He was about to entertain the thought, when he was distracted by the man in the next cell, who was trying to entertain himself.

"So," said Roman, "the next thing I know, one of my guys gets kicked straight out the window. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. That's what I get for hiring cheap, but still. Then…"

 _ **The moment I get out of here, I'm gonna throw**_ **him** _ **out of a window.**_

"Hey," said the criminal, "you listening or what?"

"What."

"I don't particularly like smartasses, kid."

"I apologise then," said Dunden, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Please, continue."

"That's more like it," said Roman. "As I was saying, there I was, looking at the little brat who kicked my guy, a girl in a red hood with a scythe in hands. Little did I know that was just the first time she'd be a thorn in my side."

"A scythe and a hood?"

"Yeah. Both red and one with a gun built in. I'll let you guess which. Anyway, I…"

"What was her name?"

"Never bothered to ask. I just called her Red. Now…"

"What color were her eyes?"

"You know, it's impolite to interrupt someone. Why do you wanna know?"

"She sounds familiar."

"She a childhood crush?" Roman laughed at his joke, but Dunden remained silent.

"Fine," said Roman, "but you're hardly any fun. I think they were grey or something. Some kind of silver. Any more questions?"

"Just one," said Dunden. "Does she make a habit of showing up out of nowhere when there's trouble?"

"Do you mean being a nuisance or being so fast she kinda pops into existence? Either way: yes. Can I finish my story now?"

"If you must."

"Great. So, she starts taking out my guys like the garbage they were…"

Dunden paid Roman no mind as he thought about the girl he described. Summer used to tell Aero and him stories about her time. They would stay up late, listening to her tales of action and adventure, though Aero seemed far more entranced than he ever was.

Summer would often talk about her teammates, including the scythe-wielding man named Qrow. Evidently, her daughters thought of him as an uncle, though he was only related to one of them. She said scythe-wielders were extremely rare in her time, so it made sense that he girl Roman described was somehow close to Qrow. That didn't prove anything, but the fact she had a hood, silver eyes and great speed made Dunden's thought more and more likely. Matched with the girl the robot had mentioned, he was almost certain.

 _ **Ruby.**_

He was about to think further on the matter, but a cold feeling swept over him, similar to the one he felt before finding his Shard. Suddenly, an image appeared in his mind. Rize was standing in front of him across from Summer, looking like they'd been fighting. His father was there as well, bloodied on the ground. Rize turned to Dunden and moved his mouth like he was going to speak, but the boy was distracted when he saw Aero in the distance, his body clenching like he was in pain. A second later, Dunden was back in his cell, the vision gone.

 _ **What was that?**_

"And that's where babies come from."

"Wait, what," said Dunden, a bit shocked at Roman's words. The man laughed.

"Just testing to see if you're awake. You weren't answering me and a story's no fun without an audience. I figured a little something out of left field would get your attention. Now, back to the time I blew up a train."

Dunden was far too busy thinking about what had happened to listen to the idiot's tale. All that mattered was that he find out the meaning of what he saw. Rize had tried speaking to him, Summer was there, and his father looked hurt. One thing stuck in mind though, something he felt at the core of his being.

Something was very wrong with Aero.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but I have a feeling it'll be worth it. As always, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and questions about the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

 **Btw, I have a question for all of you who haven't seen the Volume 3 clip yet: WHY HAVEN'T YOU SEEN IT!? READ THIS AND THEN GO WATCH THE SKATEBOARD-GUNS!**

"How much longer?"

"We literally just took off."

"So?"

"So," said Qrow, annoyed at the shaking man sitting next to him, "it will be a while until we land. You'd think after spending years fighting killer monsters you'd grow a little backbone."

"Y-you know I d-don't like heights," Taiyang said through chattering teeth.

"Or the sea. Which we are about to go over, by the way."

Immediately after saying this, the grey-haired man heard a small crunching sound next to him. He looked down to see Taiyang's armrest slightly bent, a victim of the man's fear-driven strength. Qrow laughed a bit at his brother's terror.

"You just love scaring me," the brawler said, "don't you?"

"What can I say? Being scary is my job."

"Well, you do it well."

The blonde looked across the ship. At the other end, the kids were talking to each other, presumably about their plans for the break. He could see Ruby, looking out the window and pointing things out to the group's sole boy. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, which made Taiyang more terrified than Qrow ever could.

"Aero doesn't seem like a bad kid," said Qrow.

"How did you know I was thi-…"

"It's my job to scare you. It's also my job to know when you _are_ scared. Besides, anyone with a brain could figure out that you're worried about him."

"It's not him I'm worried about," said Taiyang. "It's the girls. Are you sure he can't just stay with you?"

"You do know we live right next to each other, right?"

"Which makes it perfect!"

"Which makes it not matter." Qrow sighed before continuing. "Even if none of what the girls said is true, that doesn't change the fact that he's here now. He's still going to be around. I can offer him one of my rooms to sleep in, but he'll still be a short walk away at all times."

Taiyang was forced to see the truth in his teammate's words. Like it or not, the boy was now a part of their lives. To make things more complicated, he wasn't just bringing new things with him. Some painful memories were resurfacing with his arrival.

"And what about…?"

The man couldn't bring himself to even say her name. Her cloak was there, that he couldn't deny, but he couldn't decide if it gave him hope or fear or anger or anything and everything else. To him, losing Summer was devastating, even more than Raven leaving had been. When Raven left, he'd been left with a child who never knew her mother, but when Summer disappeared, it meant both his daughters lost the person who made their house a home.

"I can't say for certain," said Qrow. "The story seems crazy, but doesn't it sound exactly like the kind of mess she'd get herself into." Both men, in spite of sadness, chuckled a bit.

"True," said Taiyang. "She was always the one getting us into trouble, but was also somehow the only one who could save us in the end."

"You mean "save you," said Qrow in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Whatever. Are we almost there?"

"There's Signal!"

"Based on Ruby's increasing excitement levels, I'd say yes."

"Great," said Taiyang, standing up.

"Where are you going," asked Qrow.

"The bathroom. To be honest, I've been fighting motion sickness since the moment the we took off and I'm about to…" His face quickly turned green before he sprinted to the men's room and shut the door.

 _That coward is the same man who got not one, but two women to fall in love with him._

A disgusting groanand a splashing sound came from the restroom, seemingly just to prove Qrow's point.

 _Just...how?_

-x-

"So," said Aero, "you really don't need anything pulling this?"

"Nope," Ruby responded. "Dust in the engine makes the wheels turn on their own."

"You do know what a wheel is," said Blake from the backseat, not looking up from her book, "right?" Ruby was a bit shocked at her friend's newfound sense of humor, but Aero just laughed in response.

"It's that one with the edges, right?"

"Bingo."

"Are you having fun back there, kids?" Taiyang asked from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, Dad."

"Good. We should be there in a minute or two."

Ruby was extremely excited to finally be back on Patch. After almost a year of life at Beacon, she was finally getting to see her home once again. As the view of forest trees flying by her window created a great nostalgic feeling in her chest, Ruby knew it wouldn't be long before her home was in view once more.

"There it is!" Ruby exclaimed, finally seeing the cottage in the distance. Though it was still a distance away, the wooden building was perfectly viewable from the hilltop they were crossing. As they approached it, the girl could hardly contain her excitement anymore. The second the vehicle stopped, the young scythe-wielder shot out of the car in a blur of rose petals and jumped excitingly in the air.

The home was actually pretty large considering the size of their family. It stood three stories tall, without counting the basement, with a porch circling the ground level. The whole building seemed to blend in perfectly with the forest surrounding it, making it seem like it was part nature itself. It was exactly the way she remembered it.

"Hey, fearless leader," said Weiss, grabbing some bags, "why don't you help us with this stuff before ditching us."

"Oh," she responded. "Sorry."

"Don't worry," said Aero as he got out. "I've got it."

"Thank you for offering," Ruby said, waving her hands in front of her, "but we can han-"

Ruby cut her sentence short when bag after bag of luggage started floating toward the front door, each with a glowing light around it. Aero stood there, hand outstretched and eyes closed, glowing slightly as well. She looked closely and saw the necklace he was wearing start to float upward. When everything was stacked on the porch, the blonde lowered his arm and opened his eyes.

"Wow," said Yang, who drove up behind them on Bumblebee. "I think Goodwitch may have some competition."

"That was nothing," Aero responded. "You should see what my father can do, especially when he still had Alpha."

"About that," said Weiss, "are you ever gonna explain to us what you're talking about?"

"Talking about what?"

"You called them Shards," said Blake. "Shards of what?"

"And why are they so important?" added Yang.

"Well, they…"

"Are they magic?"

"No. Not magic, but…"

"Are they Dust?"

"Kinda. If I could…"

"Spit it out, dude!"

"Hey!" The group stood down when Ruby let out a yell. "Thank you. Aero, you can tell us what you want, when you want. I'm sure my teammates," she said, glaring at them, "will apologise for being so rude."

"What? But we were…" Yang was cut off by a shoulder to gut, courtesy of her younger sister. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"It's fine, really. It's just I…"

"Hey!" The group turned to the source of another shout, this time let out by Taiyang, who was standing on the porch with as many bags as he could carry. Next to him, Qrow stood with his palm over his face.

"We should probably sort our stuff out first," suggested Weiss.

"It is getting dark out," added Blake. "We should at least pick rooms for the night."

"Oooh!" exclaimed Ruby. "We should have a campfire! It's the best way to start of summer. Dad! Do we have marshmallows? We need to roast them for s'mores!"

"Some more what?" asked Aero.

"Yes," he shouted back. "Do you have a spare hand?" A second later, the luggage threw itself into the living room. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he responded. "Now, what are we roasting tonight?"

"We'll show you later," said Ruby. They all started walking toward the house, eager to start their summer off with a bang.

-x-

"Remember," said Cinder, "this is a stealth mission, so keep the explosions to a minimum."

"No big bangs?" Mercury asked in a whimpering voice. "But that's the fun part."

"No," said Emerald. "The fun part is where you shut up."

"Geez," the silver-haired boy said into his microphone. "Excuse me for wanting to have some fun while you two stage a prison break. Seriously, I should be the one on that ship!"

The boy sat back in his chair, looking at the monitors in front of him. While Cinder and Emerald were currently stowed away on Ironwood's airship, geared up for a stealth mission, he was stuck on pickup duty. While he wasn't keen on seeing Torchwick again, he was more than willing to do anything if it meant breaking his monotonous routine.

"Emerald is simply better than you at stealing," said Cinder. "What exactly would you do to shut down alarms in a control room?"

"I don't know. Kick the computer?"

"Exactly. Now, fall back and wait for extraction."

"Got it, got it."

Moving from their hiding spot behind a row of cargo, the two women made their way to the hallway. They passed a security panel along the way, which Emerald immediately went to work on. She pulled down her head-covering mask a bit to get a better look at the controls. The girl had to admit that she felt a little jealous of Cinder for only having to wear a mask. She guessed that was simply a consequence of having green hair.

"Al...most… got it."

Cinder peeked around a corner to see a security camera. The red light flashing on it shut off, signaling Emerald had done her work correctly.

"It won't stay like that for long."

Nodding, Cinder lead the way through the airship's maze of rooms. In her preparation, Cinder had completely memorized the airship's interior, making their trek considerably simpler, despite the few guards that had to be knocked out and hidden for them to continue. Eventually, the two came to a room with two steel-reinforced doors blocking entry.

"Please tell me we aren't really going in through the…"

Emerald wasn't able to finish her sentence. Instead, she got her affirmation as Cinder jumped to the ceiling, grabbed an air vent and entered the tunnel. The green-haired girl rolled her eyes at the clicheness of the method, but followed her leader anyway.

The two made their way to an overhead vent. Below them, several soldiers were watching screens showing different areas of the ship. They dropped down silently and made their way to their targets, careful to not make a noise. One at a time, each of the soldiers were taken out by their attackers, until only one remained.

"You do know it's bad to watch TV all day," said Emerald. The guard turned his head back in shock before immediately getting kicked in the back of the head by Cinder. Emerald took her seat in front of the monitor and began searching through protocol files.

"Alright," she said. "That should open the cell doors. It looks like both of them are asleep. Are you sure you don't need help waking them up?"

"I'm sure," Cinder replied. "Just keep the alarms off and stay here. I'll be back in just a moment."

-x-

The footsteps were faint, but they were more than enough for Dunden to hear. Roused from his uncomfortable sleep, he opened one eye and listened to the guards outside his cell The boy knew far too well what those coming in the night could bring, so he trained himself to never be caught in that situation again. Still, there wasn't much he could do to defend himself while locked in a cell.

A moment later, a large thud sounded from beyond the door. The door went down soon after, revealing the guards lying limply on the ground. Over them stood a young woman in the moonlight, a mask covering her face.

"I take it you've come to either kill or rescue the idiot next to me."

"Yes," she replied, "but I can make the same offer to you as well."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"I've heard about what you've done," she said, causing a strange feeling to surge through Dunden, like a jolt of fear, that settled in his stomach. "You captured one of Atlas' bases singlehandedly. Granted, the soldiers there weren't exactly top rank, but I'm still impressed."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

Dunden wasn't joking, but she laughed a bit at his words.

"So," she said with a sly smile, "are you coming?"

Dunden responded by getting up and walking out of his cell, thankful to be free from it.

"Would you mind helping me out of these restraints?" he said as he lifted his covered hands toward her.

"I think I'll let you wear those a bit longer," she replied. Dunden felt a bit of annoyance at the woman, but he remained silent as she walked into the sleeping Roman's cell. She walked up to him and kicked him in the gut, earning her a bit of Dunden's respect.

"Ahh," Roman said. "Why the…" She reached down and covered the man's mouth with her hand, a signal for him to be silent.

"Be quiet," she said in a whisper, "or I'll lock you back up in this cell."

"Fine," he responded in a hushed tone. "No need to be touchy." The man sleepily stepped out of the cell, but stopped when he saw Dunden.

"What? Why is he out?"

"Later," she said sharply. "We're leaving."

The group made their way toward the door when Dunden heard footsteps coming near them.

"Someone's coming."

Two guards appeared in the doorway, shocked at seeing the inmates walking toward them.

"Hey! What are you...ahh!" Dunden kicked off in purple flash and bashed the first guard with his cuffs, knocking him to the ground. He was about to do the same to the second, but the guard shot of a few rounds at him. Dunden jumped back to avoid the bullets as the woman jumped forward, glass swords materializing in her hands, and slashed the gun in two before kicking the guard into a wall.

Alarms started sounding soon after. Apparently, the sound of gunfire was enough to arouse suspicion from the crew.

"Run!" the woman shouted. The all entered the hallway, the woman leading the way, running into several more guards along the way. Dunden charged forward with his rescuer, fighting their way through the mass of people to a destination he didn't know.

"Get these cuffs off of me."

The woman hesitated for a moment before slashing the braces of the boy's hands. Immediately, Dunden raised his hands and fired violet bursts of energy from his hands, attacking his remaining opponents.

"You kids really do keep getting weirder," said Roman.

"And why weren't you helping?" asked the woman indignantly.

"You seemed to have it under control."

The woman grunted before placing her finger on her earpiece.

"What's the situation?"

"Not good," came a voice from behind them. Another girl in a full head covering came running towards them with guns in her hands. "They smoked me out of the security room."

"What about our exit?" shouted Roman.

"There are several emergency exits that way," the masked woman said as she pointed forward. Three of them started running in that direction, but Dunden remained behind.

"Come on!" the masked woman shouted.

"Not until I reclaim what was stolen from me." He closed his eye and let out a burst of aura from his body. The energy quickly swept through the ship, until Dunden felt his target in range. He took off running in its direction, fully aware of the footsteps following him.

"I assume your refering to your stone," said the woman as she ran up next to him.

"Yes," he replied. "We can't let it stay here. Where are the others?"

"Making their way towards the exit. She can handle the situation."

"Can Roman?"

"He wouldn't have gotten captured if he could."

The two made their way to their destination, the energy becoming easier for Dunden to sense with every step. They finally made it to some form of laboratory. There were beds laid out in the room, each with one of the newborn Fractals still on them, all hooked up to machines and locked down with metal restraints. One of them, the one who, amazingly, had been wounded, still had a visible wound on his side.

 _ **They really aren't dead. That still doesn't make any sense.**_

"Well," said the woman, "those sure are interesting. A bit terrifying, but still interesting."

"These aren't even mature yet," he replied. "The tails haven't even grown yet."

"Tails?"

"I'll explain later," he said. Dunden made his way to the back of the room where his Shard was being held in a glass case. Next to that case were his swords, probably being studied along with everything else. He fired an energy blast to break the glass and took the Shard in his hand, feeling waves of power wash over him. The Fractals all suddenly emerged from their sleep, though they were unable to move. He put the Shard in one of his pockets and picked up one of his swords.

"That's as far as you go," came a voice from behind them. Standing in the doorway was General Ironwood, a long ax with a blue, glowing blade in his hand, obviously ready for a fight.

The woman acted first. She raised her hand and created a red, spinning symbol in front of her, out of which spewed several intense flames. The general spun his weapon in his hands, dispelling the fire that came toward him.

She raised her arms again and a red light formed beneath her opponent. A explosion of fire and light erupted from the ground, knocking the General into the hallway. He fired several shots from the end of his weapon, but none of them hit their target. Instead, Dunden jumped in front of her and blocked the bullets with one of his swords, the other sheathed to the side.

He dove forward and began slashing at Ironwood. They met each other blow for blow, but the general was surprisingly quick with his ax. Dunden jumped up in a twirling motion and managed to kick the man in face before launching himself backwards. Both the kick and the landing made a metal pang sound in the air.

"Does this room connect to the outside?" Dunden asked.

"Only if we could go through the floor."

"How about I put you in the ground then!" shouted Ironwood. The man leaped in the air toward the two of them, ready to cut them to ribbons, but Dunden had a plan. He reached out and grabbed his rescuer's hand, feeling the fiery aura in her.

Taking a bit of that power, Dunden focused it into his blade. The end erupted in a blaze of searing heat, enough to fill the room in a blinding light. He slashed at Ironwood, leaving a burn mark across his body, and swung again at the floor, melting a portion of it away. He followed up with powerful blast from his hand that opened the floor below them. Looking down, Dunden could vaguely make out the dark body of water below him, filling him with a terrible sense of deja vu.

He felt something warm in his hand and realized he was still holding onto his rescuer. In any other situation, this may have made him blush, but, given the fact they only had seconds before Ironwood would likely recover, he instead pulled her into the new opening. The two fell quickly towards the water, causing the woman's mask to fall off. Despite the circumstances, Dunden was still shocked by her beauty.

 _ **What are you thinking, Dunden? Now is not… now is no-... not… the…**_

The drain of controlling a flame suddenly set in on the young man's body, causing his vision to fade. He would have given anything for Gamma's heat in that moment, but all he felt was a freezing sensation cover him. The feeling terrified him.

His last thought before going under was simply this: which was colder? The icy water around him or the creeping cold in his soul?


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! So, the 10 day countdown has begun. The hype is real! Still, I'm a little worried about Vol. 3, at least with regards to this story. I want to try to incorporate as many canon elements as possible, so I'll try to fit this story to the real one with as both unfold. It won't be perfect, but it'll still be epic! As always, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and questions on the story. If you have a story idea, I'd love to hear it. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Aero looked like he wasn't sure what to make of the white, puffy substance in front of him. Yang had put whatever it was on a stick and stuck in directly into the fire. She pulled it out a moment later and blew out the flames engulfing the mass. It had turned golden and started drooping off the stick.

"Perfect," said the blonde. "First rule of making s'mores: light that puppy on fire."

"Hey," said Weiss, covering Zwei's ears. "Ixnay on the puppy fire-ay."

"I never did tell you what happened on top of the train car, did I Weiss?" said Ruby.

"Why? What happened?" asked the heiress, eyeing her leader.

"Oh, nothing," said Ruby. "Anyway, is everyone enjoying themselves?"

"I sure am," said Taiyang with a smile. "A warm night. Couple of logs for chairs. Marshmallows and chocolate! It's been way too long since we've had a nice old-fashioned campfire together."

Ruby smiled back at her father. When she and Yang were little, they always used to go out into the yard and eat sweets together once the nights got short. It was one of the things she looked forward to the most after coming home.

"What about you, Aero?" asked Qrow. "Enjoying the food?"

"I still don't know what we're having some more of," said the boy.

"Do you know what chocolate is?" asked Yang.

"Well, yeah."

"Then imagine taking that chocolate and creating a piece of food so delicious, so mind-numbingly yummy, that almost nothing you'll ever eat again will compare and everything you've ever tried will feel like a waste of time."

"That may be taking it a bit overboard, Yang."

"Says the girl who can scarf down a plate of cookies like a vaccum cleaner," Yang said with a laugh. The brawler handed a handed a completed s'more to Aero, who took it in his hands and stared at it for a moment.

"Go on," said Ruby, as all eyes turned to the boy. Aero brought the treat to his mouth and took a bite, his eyes growing wide as he did so.

"Well," said Yang. "How is it?"

"Hmm," Aero said. "Second best."

"Second!?" shouted Yang. "Are you implying there's something greater than my flaming masterpiece!"  
"Yang," said Blake. "Calm down. You're shouting is probably going to get every Grimm in the forest to head this way."

"Hmph," Yang huffed while sitting down. "Fine."

"So, does anyone have any _scaaarrryyy_ stories," Qrow said, leaning in close to Taiyang with a wicked smile, "because I know I do."

"Nope," said Taiyang, his face turning pale. "You aren't saying a word."

"But I like Uncle Qrow's stories," said Ruby.

"You hear that," said the caped man, "she likes my stories. I have to tell one now. Maybe even two or three."

"Uhm," said the brawler. "Uh, how about we let someone else tell a story. Blake, you've been quiet. Do you know one?"

"Actually," said Blake, "I was hoping to hear some from Aero."

"Huh," said the boy, still trying to swallow the sticky concoction. "Me?"

"Yeah," said the black-haired girl, her voice soft and genuine. "I liked the story you told in class, the one about Egil and Ziz. I was wondering if you had any more like that one to tell."

"You didn't think it was weird?"

"Are you kidding?!" said Ruby, her eyes sparkling. "It was awesome. I wanna hear more too! Please." The hooded girl clasped her hands together and put on her best puppy dog eyes.

"Hmm," said Aero. "There are definitely plenty to choose from. What kind of story do you wanna hear?"

"If it's not too much trouble," said Weiss, "I'd like to hear more about the Shards you keep mentioning."

"Weiss!" said Ruby.

"I'm not trying to be rude. It just seems important."

"If he doesn't want to say, he doesn't have too."

"It's okay, Speedster," he said with a smile, unaware of Taiyang's raised eyebrow. "It is something that needs to be addressed."

The boy breathed in and paused a moment, thinking about where to start. He reached up, grabbed his necklace and held it in his hand, a small light seemingly coming from it.

"Even in the past, mankind had legends, stories about their heroes, their villains and their origins. In our account, man was born from dust. If I'm not mistaken, that belief still exists today, though some important parts to the story seem to be missing."

The necklace in his hand started to glow brighter and brighter with each second. Ruby looked away from the light for a moment and saw a tiny Nevermore leave the branch it was on and fly into the forest.

"The Grimm never liked the Alpha very much, Ruby," he said. "It's natural that they avoid coming near a piece of it."

"That rock can scare off Grimm?" asked Yang.

"In a way," said Aero. "When humanity was young, they had no need to fight off Grimm. In those days, man wasn't even aware of the darkness we fight today. They lived long and happy lives, unafraid of the world around them."

"That's not what we've been told," said Blake. "The Grimm have been a threat since humanity was born."

"You're not entirely wrong," said the boy. "While even we Totomians don't know exactly where the Grimm come from, we do know they didn't appear to humans until a tragedy occurred. Humanity, once humble and content, wanted to gain power over others. They started to clash, fighting over the smallest of things, all in an attempt to control as much as they could. It seemed that even brothers would fight and kill each other if they were so inclined. That's when the Grimm appeared."

"They're drawn to negative emotions," said Taiyang. "It makes sense that they wouldn't show themselves until humans began hating each other."

"That's right," said Aero. "Humanity was on the brink of extinction by the time we discovered Dust. Without that discovery, we wouldn't be sitting here today."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Yang. "That's all very interesting and all, but we already know that for the most part. What does it have to do with these Shard things?"

"More than anyone knows, really," he said, rubbing the stone with his thumb. "When humanity first began to grow, the original, complete crystal that the Shards come from was already worshipped like a god. You see, it attracted humans the way anger and hate attract Grimm; however, the more people that were near it, the more they began to fight, which brought the Grimm closer."

"It was a cycle we went through: humanity unifying, fracturing and barely being able to support the next generation. Still, the most terrifying thing was the original's power. The energy coming from it was so great, if anyone were to touch it directly, they would die immediately."

"But where did it come from?" asked Blake.

"Only my grandfather, Egil…"

"The one in your story?" asked Ruby.

"One and the same. He was the only one who knew the answer. For years, the clan he lead built their civilization around the stone, its power causing the other clans to fear and hate us, but also keeping them away."

"The stone was kept in a temple in the middle of their city, the one that eventually became our castle, that only the leader of the tribe was allowed to enter. The writings on those walls were the only things that _might_ have detailed the account more, but the only other person who may have known something was my father, and he never told me."

Ruby could see the look on Aero's face. He was hiding something, something painful. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't think of the right words.

"Contrary to popular belief," he continued. "Dust wasn't first used as a weapon against the Grimm. It was used to fight humans."

"What?" said Weiss. "But what about all the stories? All the history books say Dust was let humans fight the Grimm."

"And then each other," Aero said sternly. "In either case, humanity took the power in their hands and immediately turned it on their neighbors."

Ruby was a bit frightened by Aero's tone. She'd come to know the boy as cheerful and kind. He was always laughing and trying to make others happy too, but the solemness in his voice showed there was something darker under his surface.

"They attacked my tribe first. Warriors from all over, though not under a single alliance, marched to the city with Nature's Wrath, hoping to take the stone for themselves. They may very well have too, until Egil decided to take matters into his own hands. In defense of his people, he entered the temple and took the stone. The power nearly killed him on the spot."

"I thought you said it would kill anyone who touched it," said Yang.

"It would, but Egil did something no one else had done. On the verge of death, he summoned all his strength and broke the stone in two. The energy destroyed the entire building, but he survived, standing at the top of the ruins with the Alpha in his right hand and the Omega in his left. In that moment, every army that stood against him stopped moving, completely mesmerized by the power in front of them. While those men and women bowed, Egil dropped the Alpha from his hand and yelled so loud that thousands could hear him."

He stopped for a moment, gripping his necklace so tightly that Ruby could see his veins

"That was the day he declared himself king. That was the day Totum was born."

"You don't seem very excited about that," said Yang.

The boy lowered his head, completely silent.

"Aero," Ruby said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her for a moment before putting a sad, half smile on his face.

"I'm okay, Ruby," he finally said. "It's just a story that reminds me of home." The boy laughed a bit, but Ruby could tell there wasn't any happiness in the sound.

"Now," he continued, "that's not all I could say, but I'm pretty interested in what people today tell as stories. I hope I don't fall asleep in the middle of the scary ones. They tend to make me a bit drowsy."

Qrow peaked up a bit at the boy's words, probably taking them as a challenge, but Ruby was still fully aware Aero was changing the subject. She figured the best thing to do for now was to give him time.

"You want a scary story, Aero?" Qrow asked with an evil laugh. "When I'm finished, you won't be able to sleep for the rest of the summer."

"Try me," the boy said with a smirk.

"You asked for it then," the scythe-wielder responded, "but you'll regret it, because this story is 100% true." Everyone's eyes shrank at the evil tone in the man's voice, especially the blonde man sitting next to him.

"It all happened on a night, just like this one…"

-x-

 _ **If I never see the ocean again, it will be too soon.**_

Dunden slowly raised his head off of the table he was on. He coughed up a bit of water as his vision slowly came back into the focus. Getting up and looking around, he saw Roman, wearing a tattered pair of clothes, a silver-haired boy sitting at a computer, a green-haired girl, who he assumed was the other one on the ship, and the dark-haired woman he'd escaped with. Instead of the black outfit she had been in, she was now a wearing a brilliant red dress, which was a tad more… revealing.

 _ **Stop it.**_

"So," said Roman, "the little brat decides to rejoin the land of the living. I am a bit disappointed a shark or something didn't decide to drop in for a little snack."

"You do know you fell into the water too, right?" said the silver-haired boy. Roman grunted a bit at the boy's sarcasm.

"Yeah," he said, "I know. That's also the reason my suit got ruined. Seriously, is it too much trouble to ask for an air pickup instead of a freaking submarine?!"

"Is it too much trouble to not be shot out of the sky?" said the green-haired girl.

"Quiet," said the dark-haired woman. She walked over to Dunden, her piercing golden eyes meeting his violet ones. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," he said. "Still, it wasn't the worst bath I've ever taken."

"I can't tell if he's joking," said the other woman.

"I believe I told you to be quiet, Emerald." The green-haired girl, apparently called Emerald, immediately stepped back and lowered her face. Dunden saw a hint of his brother in the woman in front of him. She was clearly in control of the situation, but she seemed a bit more intentional about it than Ris...Rize normally was, which admittedly scared the boy, if just a little bit.

"What's your name?"

"Please," he responded. "Ladies first."

"Oh," she said with a smile, "we have a gentleman. That's a nice change of pace."

"Hey," said the other men, who shrunk back down after seeing her glare.

"You do owe me," she said. "I rescued you from your cell and brought you here."

"And where exactly are we?"

In response, the young woman pointed behind Dunden. He turned around and saw a large, circular window that gave a clear view into sheer blackness. A tiny pod of glowing Cthulhu swam by a moment later, giving the boy a terrible sense of deja vu.

 _ **Oh, look. The ocean. Great.**_

"I'll ask again," she said. "If you tell me your name, I may just tell you mine."

"You strike me as one who wouldn't give out information that sensitive so easily. I don't believe I've done anything significant enough to earn your trust."

"Maybe I'm in a good mood today."

"You're in the same room as Roman Torchwick," he responded. "I don't believe it's possible to be in a good mood."

To his surprise, the woman actually laughed a bit at his words. The others, however, looked shocked at her response, so much that Roman didn't even raise a complaint.

"I'll admit," she said, "I was just trying to get information out of you, but now I'm genuinely curious. So, what is our mystery man's name?"

Against his better judgement, Dunden decided to comply with her wish.

"Dunden," he said, "Son of… Son of Halos."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dunden," she said. "My name is a secret."

"I expected as much," he said. "There is power in a name."

"Believe me, I know, yet you still told me yours. Why?"

"It's like you said: I owe you."

"Revealing information to a potential enemy?" she said, almost mockingly. "That isn't very wise."

"Only when an alliance is impossible," he responded. "You wouldn't have rescued Roman and I if you didn't believe we were valuable, though it still remains a mystery to me how the fool over there could be of any use to someone as powerful as you."

"You speak too highly of me," she said, raising her hand to her chest, "but yes. I wasn't even trying against Ironwood."

"I know. It was still a beautiful performance, though. Almost as beautiful as the performer." She smiled at the compliment, but the others in the room went from shocked to mortified.

"Kid," said Roman, "how old are you?"

"That question is a bit more complicated than you'd likely believe."

"Uhh…"

"I just turned seventeen," he said. "That's more than you need to know."

"And how old are yo- okay. Fireball in the hand. Don't ask. Got it."

The woman smirked at the man's fear and extinguished the fire in her palm. She walked closer to Dunden and used the same hand to brush the side of his face. His heart rate increased slightly, but he remained composed.

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked.

"Terrified," he said, quickly grabbing her hand, "but I've fought stronger flames before."

"Oh, really?" she said. "How exactly did you handle them? With that little stone of yours?"

Dunden watched as Emerald took the Shard out from behind her back and started tossing it up and down.

"You really shouldn't be touching that."

"Oh yeah?" the green-haired girl said angrily. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Emerald," the pyromancer said sternly. Emerald quickly, but still reluctantly, gave in and tossed the stone to her leader, who stared at it for a moment.

"Strange," she said. "It's warm, but…"

"Freezing," said Dunden.

"Yes," she said softly. "I believe this is yours."

"You're just going to give a potential enemy a possible asset?" he said, taking the Shard in his hand and putting it in his pocket. "That isn't very wise."

"I owe you," she said. "Though I could have escaped our situation by myself, you did make it much easier."

"I don't suppose you'll tell me your name then?"

"Maybe later," she said with a smirk. "For now, that little game will have to wait. We have business to attend too."

"What kind of business?"

"The kind where we discuss a deal. You're an enemy of Atlas, but which of the other kingdoms do you belong too?"

"None."

"Interesting," she said while taking a seat next to him, crossing her legs as she did so. "And, what do you think of the kingdoms?"

"Their existence is a mistake that needs fixing."

"Good," she responded. "You and I are very similar in that regard, Dunden. I have one final question, though."

"Which is?"

The woman nodded to the silver-haired boy, who pressed a button on the computer, causing an image to appear. On the screen was a picture of two young-men engaged in a duel. One held a sword almost larger than he was, but Dunden's attention was focused on the other. A wave of several different emotions washed over the young man, his eyes shrinking as a result.

"Do you know who…"

"I'll help you," he suddenly said. "I know where this conversation is going. I've seen many like it before. I doubt our goals are the same, but I suspect they're at least compatible. I'll offer the support I can, if you answer me truthfully."

"Go on," she said.

Dunden stared deep into her golden eyes with all the intensity he could muster.

"Where is my brother?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, guys! First, if you haven't seen the newest Death Battle yet, go watch it now. Yang and Tifa go at it, and it's a punch-filled masterpiece! Second, I don't know if I can wait until the premiere. I think I speak for the FNDM when I say we'll probably explode with hype before then. Anyway, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your questions and thoughts on the story. All story ideas are appreciated. See you after the premiere!**

Yang was having a bit of trouble sleeping. Maybe it was from eating one too many s'mores before bed, or maybe one of her uncle's stories actually got to her. Regardless of the reason, the blonde was still wide awake well past midnight. No matter how many sheep she counted, her eyes just wouldn't close.

Looking around the dimly lit room, Yang felt a little wave of sadness wash over her. After putting her stuff away and placing her Achieve Men poster back on its original wall, the room looked exactly the way it had when she left for Beacon at the end of last summer. Her desk was still cluttered with junk and her secret teddy bear collection was still safely hidden under the bed. Still, happy as she was to be in her own room, she had gotten so accustomed to her roommates, she was having a hard time adjusting back.

Yang sighed and stood up, yawning as she did so. Feeling a bit thirsty, she made her out of her room and into the hallway, careful not to wake up any of the others. She peeked into Ruby's room for a moment to see how her little sister was sleeping. To Yang's utter amusement, Ruby was curled up in her PJ's, arms wrapped one her pillows with stuffed animals lying everywhere and a small line of drool escaping the side of her mouth.

 _Oh, if only Aero saw you like this. I'd love to see both of your reactions._

Speaking of their houseguest, Aero was the first thing Yang saw once she finally made her way downstairs. On the opposite side of the living room, across the couches and over the coffee table, the young boy was standing in a pair of blue shorts and a t-shirt with his back turned to her. One of the smaller lamps and the moon were the only things illuminating the room enough for Yang to see him. He didn't seem to notice her, so she walked over to him quietly, very tempted to try and jumpscare him. She almost did too, until she saw the picture frame in his hand.

"Whatcha looking at?" she asked. He turned around, a bit startled.

"Oh, Yang," he said. "Sorry, I didn't hear you coming down the stairs."

"You really don't have to apologise to the person who scared you in the first place," she said, "but you still didn't answer my question."

In response, he handed the frame to Yang. In the image, Yang was standing in front her father, proudly showing off the hole where she'd knocked out a baby tooth. Taiyang stood with his arm wrapped around his love, who held a small piece of that love in her arms. Wrapped up in a red blanket, a baby Ruby was looking up at her parents with shining, silver eyes.

"We don't have those where I come from," said Aero. "We had to pose for _hours_ for paintings. I hope it's okay for me to look at that, though. I just saw… you know."

"I remember this," Yang said. "This was the first day we brought Ruby home. I still can't believe I had pigtails, though."

"I can't believe your dad had short hair," Aero responded. "I gotta say, I think shorter looks better than that ponytail he has now."

"You aren't just saying that because your hair's like that, are you?" she asked with a smirk, which Aero just laughed at.

"Hey, Aero," Yang said, her voice sounding more serious than before.

"Yeah?"

"You… you do know my mom, right?" Her voice was slowly getting softer. "I mean, you know she isn't my real mom, so you'd have to know if from somewhere."

"That's not true, Yang."

"So," she said, sounding confused, "you don't know that from her?"

Aero just smiled.

"I mean, it's not true that she isn't your real mom."

Yang was taken back a bit by the boy's words. She had known Summer wasn't her birth mother for years, but it wasn't until recently that Yang felt a bit of conflict in her. After encountering Raven, she wasn't sure who she really considered her mother or what that word even meant; however, Aero seemed to have his own thoughts on the subject.

"Yang, Summer loves you," he said, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "She absolutely adores you. She used to tell me stories about how, from the moment she first saw you, she knew she'd do anything to give you the best life she could offer. When Ruby was born, she was so excited because it meant you'd have a little sister to share that life with. You and Ruby may only be half-sisters, but the woman who cherishes you more than anything in the world is still your real mother."

Yang gripped the picture frame tighter and lowered her head, completely silent.

"Yang?" Aero said softly.

"You really shouldn't say stuff like that," she said, her voice cracking a bit. "It may actually make me trust you."

"I know what you mean."

"Huh?"

"It's not like everyone believed Summer at first, either. Even after years of knowing her, some of the others still didn't believe her story. I understand why you don't believe me and I don't hold anything against you for it."

"It's not that," said Yang. "I'll be honest, I don't think any of us really believe you yet, except for Ruby, probably, but that's not why I don't trust you. It's just… we thought she was dead, that we were never going to see her again. Then you showed up, telling us that she was alive all this time, but we still don't know where she is."  
"Frankly," she continued, "the only reason I act like I'm okay with you being here is because of the chance that you may be telling the truth. Don't think for a moment that I trust you. I may not have anything against you personally, but she was taken from us once, and I want Ruby to be safe from having to lose her again."

Feeling a bit of her rage return at the thought of Ruby being hurt, she gripped the photo tighter, her eyes slightly turning red.

"If you turn out to be lying about all this, I promise you, I will…"

"Yang," he said in a low voice, not making eye contact.

"Yes?"

"Please," he said, the sadness and fear in his voice obvious, "I need to know if… if this

is…"

The emotion in his voice was enough to calm Yang just enough to respond.

"If what is what?"

For the next ten minutes, Aero slowly explained what was wrong. He mentioned things that were obviously very personal, thoughts and feelings Yang could tell were very dear to him. As he spoke, the girl felt her anger grow into sympathy and pity. By the end of his speech, she realized she'd felt a similar thing before, years ago, not long after Summer disappeared.

"So," he said, his eyes a bit wet, "what do you think?"

"I think…" she said. "I think that I'm the not the right person you need to ask. If you want your answer, you'll have to talk to Ruby."

"But I…"

"Listen, Aero," she said, cutting him off. "I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I do know what it's like to owe someone that much. She won't be angry, I promise."

"And if she is?"

"She won't," Yang said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "This is Ruby, after all."

"How could I even bring it up?"

"Leave that to me," she answered. "I know just the place to go."

"Alright," he said with a yawn. "I trust you."

"You really need to stop saying things like that," she said. "I may just end up liking that you're here."

"I'll be sure to keep talking then."

Yang nodded to the boy and started to make her way back to her room, Aero following her on the way to his own.

"I still think it's weird that you picked the attic to sleep in. There isn't even a mattress up there. Last I checked, there was just a few blankets and a bench by the window."

"What can I say?" he said. "I like the view."

"You wanna see a better view," said Yang with a sly smile.

"I…I don't know how to answer that," said the wide-eyed boy.

Yang laughed a bit and quietly made her way to a door, signaling Aero to look in.

"Well," she said, "what do you think?"

"I think," he said, quickly covering his eyes, "that we shouldn't be watching someone sleep."

"Come on. You've gotta admit she's cute."

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked with a blush.

"A bit more than you know, apparently." Yang's smile fell a bit as Ruby dropped her puppy-faced pillow from her arms to the floor. The girl kept reaching out and groaning for it in her sleep, desperately trying to snuggle. Yang watched as Aero, hearing the noise, quietly entered the room, picked up the pillow, and gently placed it back in Ruby's arms. Immediately, the girl calmed down squeezed the pillow tight.

Aero quietly left the way he came in, shutting the door behind him. Yang, on the other hand, just stood there, arms crossed with a sly smile on her face, as Aero turned around to face her. The smile on his face turned to confusion when he met Yang's gaze.

"What?" he said.

The brawler just kept smiling.

"What?" he said a bit louder, raising his hands up.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "I was just thinking about how you not only watched a girl sleep, but also went into her room without permission."

"I… it wasn't like… you know…" Yang just laughed at the boy's embarrassment until she heard a bit of movement from Ruby's room. She signaled for the two to move on as not to wake her and eventually made it to her own room.

"This is my stop," she said. "Night, Aero, and don't worry about anything. I'll take care of the first part."

"I'll take your word for it," he said. "Goodnight, Yang."

As he walked toward the staircase, Yang had a thought.

"Hey, Aero."

"Yeah?"

"You said my s'mores were second best. What's number one?"

"If I have these measurements right, 1 cup of butter, 2 eggs, 2 cups of chocolate, 1 cup of sugar… I've got the rest of it my head, but it's easier to see the ingredients than to remember the recipe."

"The recipe for what?"

"The best chocolate chip cookies in the world," he said with a big smile, "and I mean that literally, seeing as how it was the only one where I come from."

"Wait," she said, her eyes widening, "you don't mean…"

"Goodnight, Yang," Aero said. She watched as he walked down to the staircase and up to his attic bedroom, the smile never leaving his face.

 _If he knows that recipe, then… well, we'll just have to see, won't we?_

Yang slipped back into her room and finally managed to fall asleep. To her surprise, it was a good sleep, one filled with the smell and taste of a treat she hadn't had in years. Admittedly, she agreed that Aero was right about one thing.

 _Mom's cookies really are the best._

-x-

Dunden had fallen asleep not long after getting the information he wanted. Though she didn't know exactly where he was, Cinder knew Aero had left with a group of students once graduation was over. Said group of students had been a particular annoyance to Cinder for several months. Assuming he was with them, he was likely somewhere on the island of Patch. Furthermore, he had seemed particularly interested in two of the girls she had mentioned.

"I don't trust him," said Emerald, leaning against the wall

"And I'm a bit afraid of him," said Roman, earning a laugh from Mercury.

"Aww, is little Roman scared of the new guy? Afraid he's gonna take your spot on the team."

"You didn't see all he could do, kid."

"Neither did you, Roman," said Cinder, "but if you had seen what was on that ship, you'd know you have more than enough reason to be afraid."

"Why?" asked Mercury. "What was up there?"

"I'm not sure," she said, thinking back to the transformed soldiers on the ship. "Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't human."

Mercury sat back down at the terminal, kicking his feet up on the desk. The screens showed the exterior of the ship, along with several charts showing their position. Based on the map, Cinder knew it wouldn't be too much longer until they reached Atlas, where Adam was waiting for them.

"I still don't get what the big deal is," said Mercury. "Everything's going smoothly. Why do we need to bring the new kid on board?"

"If I remember right," said the green-haired girl, "he's not much younger than we are."

"Still," he continued, "I don't get why you think he's so important."

Cinder thought about this for a moment.

"It's not about what I know," Cinder said, looking at the door to the small, side room the boy was sleeping in. "It's about what I don't. Whoever he really is, he was deemed important enough to demand Ironwood's direct attention. That is something I cannot simply overlook."

"Ironwood doesn't know anything either," Roman chipped in. "I heard a bunch of the guards talking, saying how the General has been acting even more paranoid than usual lately. The way they made it sound, the kid was really getting to him."

"Wow," said Emerald. "Roman Torchwick actually having some useful information. It's a shame you couldn't have the same kind of usefulness when the Breach happened."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault those brats showed up at my doorstep. I shouldn't have even been in Vale when those bombs went off!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you were captured," said Cinder sternly. "Still, the Breach did fulfill its purpose."

"Yeah, uh," said Roman, "I still don't know exactly why the hell we blew up part of Vale. For the record, my favorite clothing store was overrun by Grimm in the attack. I'd like to know where I'm gonna get a new suit now."

Thinking back to the attack, Cinder remembered the thrill of watching the Grimm in action. She knew for a fact that the kingdom wouldn't fall from one, small scale invasion, but she fondly remembered the message sent from the Council to Ironwood and Ozpin. The fear and anger in their voices gave her more than enough reason to smile, with one of the voices in particular sounding more sweet than the others.

"As I said before," she finally said. "You'll know what you need to know when you need to know it."

"Fine," he responded through his teeth, "but what I _want_ to know is exactly why you decided to bring him along. I saw my fair share of prisoners on that ship, guys so messed up they'd make an Ursa look cuddly, but you only broke out two of us. What makes him so special?"

"Hmm," Cinder said, thinking over the conversation she had with the young man. "We're kindred spirits. I can tell from the way he spoke to me that there is far more to him that his expression. He's peaked my interest and I intend to find out what I can about him and that stone of his."

"By the way," said Mercury, "doesn't he seem a bit… young."

"I believe we already went over his age."

"No," said Emerald, "he means… well, it sounded like you two were…"

"Were what?"

"Well," said Roman, "he said… you know, and you acted… kind of like you…"

A moment later, a message sounded from the terminal, effectively distracting Cinder's henchmen from their thoughts. Cinder was, admittedly, happy when their heads turned the other way. She knew very well what they were implying, and, surprisingly, she wasn't sure how to respond to… those types of things. Cinder shook her head, trying to refocus on what was in front of her.

"We're approaching the station," Mercury said. "Let's hope the fishes weren't lying to us."

On the monitor in front of them was the image a large, underwater cave. A scan on a corresponding screen showed the map the White Fang had supplied them for their voyage through the connecting tunnels. If they were correct, a large supply compound was lying on the other end, filled with troops for the next operation.

Cinder took the opportunity to walk into the only other room the submersible had, the place where her newest ally was resting. She lit a small fire in her palm so she could see the sleeping young man. He was facing away from the doorway on the table, likely trying to avoid the light.

As she walked closer, she noticed the violet crystal in his hand, glowing slightly. She was half-tempted to take it, but remembered the sensation it gave her the last time she touched it,a feeling unlike anything she'd felt before. When Emerald had touched it, it was obvious that she had become angry, but what Cinder felt was more like a pull on her soul.

She extinguished her flame and stood over the boy. For some reason she couldn't quite understand, she placed her palm on the side of his head, only to feel the same warm-yet-freezing sensation as before flow through her. Surprisingly, it felt almost good.

"You certainly are interesting, Dunden" she said, before bending down and whispering in his ear. "I can't wait to learn more about you."

Cinder stood up and left the room, still feeling the strange power coursing through her veins.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! I'm still excited from the premiere and happy to see what looks like a greater story arc being made. I've already had to change a few of this story's future because of the information, but I'm just happy that RWBY is back! As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your thoughts and questions about the story. All ideas are appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!**

 **...that shot when they used Monty's signature as the sun... ;_;**

Dunden was fully aware of the sparks metal on metal could create. He had seen time and time again the sheer force the attacks of those close to him could hold. Unfortunately for the recent birthday boy, Acrose's attacks generated sparks of a bit… higher degree.

"What's the matter, Dunden?" shouted Summer, who was standing at the side of the room. **"Can't stand the heat?"**

" **Is that… supposed… to be a joke?"** he said between blocks.

"Pretty much. Yeah."

Dunden turned his attention back to fight at hand, internally scolding himself for becoming distracted. Though he, like Aero, had yet to fashion his own weapon, the dulled training sword in his hand would have to do until he could make his own. Still, based on his red-eyed trainer's attacks, he thought the sword could have shattered at any moment.

"Focus, Dunden," said Acrose as he slashed at the boy. "You'll never beat me without using your Semblance."

Dunden knew the man's words were completely true. Though the match was far from a death battle, the violet-eyed prince knew the captain wouldn't go easy on him. As proof, Dunden had several charred spots on his robes, compliments of the random bursts of augmented sparks Acrose had thrown in as his brand of motivation.

"Think, my prince," said the armored man. "How will you get past my blade?"

True enough, Dunden was having difficulty figuring out how to overcome the royal guard's great sword. He tried the obvious answer of quickly placed jabs, but the man still retained a fair amount of speed, even with his heavy armor, allowing him to dodge or block each attack. To make matters worse for Dunden, the air around his teacher was increasing becoming hotter. If he didn't act fast, not even a successful Grip could win finish the fight.

The prince horizontally blocked his opponent's blade, but was shocked by the blast of light that followed. One of the small embers created in the clash had quickly brightened to the point Dunden's vision became blurry. Instinctively, he called on his aura to form a glowing barrier in front of him. He felt something crash into the shield a moment later and, once his vision returned, he could see he had successfully blocked one of Acrose's attacks with his Semblance. The dark-skinned man smiled at the young prince and sheathed his blade, signaling an end to the match.

"Well done, my prince," said the man. "You've certainly improved your control over your aura, but you lack the skill to time both your aura and physical attacks together. Nevertheless, you have accomplished much in such a short span of time."

The dark-haired boy bowed to his instructor, thankful for the compliment. Though he considered his primary mentor to be his brother, Risse, Dunden knew the volumes the Captain of the Guard's praise could carry.

A true workaholic, the man was known for commanding the capital's entire garrison, slaying more Grimm than an entire battalion, and being instrumental in aiding Halos' rebellion against Egil. It was no surprise to anyone when his affinity to Gamma was discovered and Halos gave him the Shard as a reward for his service. He was even one of the few people Risse recognized as a worthy opponent.

"Still," said Dunden, "I wasn't able to beat you."

"True, but you were able to intimidate me with your steely gaze," he replied with a laugh. "With all due respect, my prince, there is nothing wrong with smiling during the spur of a good battle."

"Maybe it just wasn't a good battle," said Summer with a smirk, at which Acrose only sighed.

"I can see why you and Selena get along so well," said Acrose. "You know how to spoil my fun."

"Constantly fighting and training is fun?" asked Dunden.

Acrose responded by growing a wide smile, beating his fist on his chest, and shouting up at the top of his lungs.

"ONLY WHEN YOU PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO IT!"

"That is certainly something you have an act for doing," came a voice from behind them. Turning around, their group saw Risse had entered the room and was walking in their direction. Acrose bowed to his prince and general, but Dunden saw Summer's expression turn sour as he got closer.

"My prince," said Acrose. "I thought you were spending today with my king and the dignitaries."

"One can only be around those people so much before wanting to hit something with a sword," he said with a smile. Acrose laughed at his prince's words, but Dunden felt a small tug in his stomach as he heard them. He watched as Risse turned to the only non-Totomian in the room and addressed her.

"Summer," he said.

"Risse," she replied flatly.

"So, tell me, does our training compare to that of your Huntsmen?"

"They're very similar. With people like Aero and Dunden being trained, I'm sure the world will be just fine."

There was a growing tension in the air that seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment. Both Acrose and Dunden wanted to break it up, but both knew their conflict wasn't one either of them could solve. Instead of speaking up, they both took small, awkward steps backward, hoping to not get caught in the crossfire. The thought of being with those two in a room filled with sharp weapons wasn't exactly comforting for either of them.

"Speaking of Aero," said Risse, "I heard he went to forge his weapon today. To be honest, I'm surprised you aren't with him now. I thought you may be able to help him create something more...advanced than we have here."

"His weapon will be whatever he wants it to be," Summer replied.

"But he has asked for your advice and approval, hasn't he? Just as he does with everything else?"

"He has," she answered sharply, "and I happily offered him the help he wanted, just like I would do for Dunden if he asked."

 _Oh, no._

"Really?"

 _Stop it._

"Really."

 _Don't get me involved!_

"Well," Risse said, taking a step to stand directly in front of her, "we'll just see who he'd want advice from first."

 _Uggggh._

Without turning away from Summer, he addressed his brother and student.

"Dunden," he said, causing the boy to straighten up.

"Yes?"

"If you were seeking help in designing your weapon, which you will soon be making yourself, who would you first seek for advice?"

"This isn't a compe-"

"Dunden," said Risse, cutting Summer off.

The boy's first instinct was obviously to ask his mentor, but he realized felt a bit conflicted on how to say it aloud. He genuinely admired Summer, though not as much or outwardly as Aero did, and didn't want to make her seem inferior; however, the more he thought about it, the more a pull in his gut told him to choose his brother, almost like Summer was being overshadowed.

"Risse," he said hesitantly. "I'd choose Risse."

"Well there you have it," his brother said with a gloating smile.

"And what does that prove?" said Summer. "That he'd ask his teacher for advice?"

"You're his teacher too, if I recall correctly, yet he still chose me."

Summer was turning as red as her name in anger, but Risse quickly turned around and started walking toward the door.

"Come with me, Dunden," he said. "There are some lessons I have planned for you today. The visiting nobles will be leaving soon and their presence provides a great opportunity for learning about the politics you'll one day join. It may not be as entertaining as swordplay, but I'm sure the captain won't mind."

"Oh, uh," said Acrose, finding himself pulled into the conversation, "not at all, my prince."

"Thank you."

Dunden made his way toward his brother and started walking closely behind him. He turned around saw Acrose, looking sympathetic about his position, and Summer, who, amazingly enough, was actually able to smile towards Dunden as he left. A pang of guilt rang in his chest for not choosing her, but he knew the choice he made was who he would honestly pick. Still, the strange feeling in his chest persisted.

 _Aero, I hope you're having a better day than me._

-x-

Ruby woke up feeling a bit more rested than she expected to be. She'd had a hard time getting to sleep the night before and expected one of those groggy mornings, but she stretched her arms up, dropping the pillow from them, got out of bed, and felt completely relaxed. Her peacefulness lasted about two seconds before a roar came from her stomach.

 _Oooooh. I am sooooo...wait._

She sniffed the air, hoping her nose wasn't lying to her.

 _Is that…?_

The scythe-wielder opened her door and ran down the stairs, leaving a trail of rose petals fluttering behind her. When she reached the bottom, she saw Blake and Yang sprawled out on the couches in their PJ's, one reading a book and one watching some superhero cartoon. Weiss and Aero were sitting at the dining room table with her dad with plate after plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon lying everywhere. Ruby wasted no time sprinting toward her target and quickly began devouring everything within her reach.

"Good morning, Speedster," said Aero with a laugh. "Nice bed head."

The girl's face turned a bit red after realizing how untamed her hair had become, but she simply patted it down before going right back to eating.

"Slow down, Ruby," said Weiss, dropping a piece of bacon down to Zwei. "You act like you've never eaten before."

"Sowwy," she responded, mouth full of food. "Ets jwust bwenn sa lon ence…"

"You might want to try talking without a face full of pancakes," said her father.

"Sorry," she said after gulping down the food. "It's just been so long since I've had a big breakfast like this!"

"We had them at the school every day," said Weiss flatly.

"Not home cooked," she said, scarfing down another pancake. "Dad's meals are way better than Beacon's. I'd take this over cafeteria food any day."

"I second that motion," said Aero. "My compliments to the chef."

"The chef is complimented," Taiyang responded, standing proudly with a spatula in his hand.

"You know," said Yang from behind them, "the bad guy _really_ sounds a lot like Professor Port."

"Yang," said their father, "you know I love cartoons as much as the next guy, but why not watch the news for once?"

"Because the news is boring and this isn't," she responded. Her father just raised an eyebrow, causing Yang to give in and change the channel. Ruby figured she'd just have to see what was so important about the cow later.

"Good morning, Remnant," came a voice from the TV. "This is Lisa Lavender reporting live from the kingdom of Atlas."

"Yep," said Yang. "Boring."

"Shortly after midnight last night, a distress signal was sent from the personal aircraft of General James Ironwood that something had happened aboard the vessel, leading to the hospitalization of several soldiers, including the general himself."

"Okay," said Yang again. "Maybe boring was the wrong word."

Everyone had turned their eyes to the screen, eager to find out what had gone wrong. Ruby had only meet the general once, but he seemed like he was friends with Professor Ozpin. Understandably, she was worried about what had happened. The screen quickly switched to several amateur photos of the airship passing overhead, revealing a hole on its belly.

"The official story from the Atlesian military is that an experimental weapon overloaded in the night, setting off several explosions and injuring those nearby. No information has been given on the nature of the weapon, but it has been confirmed General Ironwood has suffered a severe burn on the right side of his body. We'll have more for you as the story develops."

"I hope he's alright," said Weiss.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Taiyang, his expression steady. "Ironwood has pulled through worse."

"Like what?" asked Ruby.

"Oh," he said, his expression changing, "well, it's just...he's a Huntsman and a general. I'm sure he's had worse injuries."

"Sooooo," said Yang, "can I turn back now?"

"Sure. Have fun," said her father.

"Sweet," she replied. "Come on in here, guys. The show's just getting good."

"I'll pass," said Weiss. "I'd rather not waste my time with something so childish."

"Speak for yourself," said Taiyang, who walked over to the couch with his plate and sat down.

Ruby laughed a bit at her dad's antics and went back to eating her breakfast. She turned to side and, to her embarrassment, saw Aero staring at her intently. Her face turned a little red as she hoped Weiss wasn't paying attention.

"I-Is there something wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"I think you have a glob of syrup stuck in your hair, Ruby."

"Huh?" Yang suddenly said.

Ruby raised her hand to her head, feeling the sticky substance really was stuck in her hair, probably from when she messed with it earlier. Try as she might, she just couldn't get any of it out. She was actually making it much worse by spreading the substance around. By the time she gave up, her hairstyle could have put Doctor Oobleck's to shame.

"Wow," said a laughing Weiss. "I want to make a joke, but I don't even know where to start."

"Weiss!" said a red-faced Ruby.

"Oh, fine," she said, still laughing a bit. "I can help you get it ou…"

"I got it!"

Suddenly, a yellow flash filled Ruby's vision and she felt herself being picked up and moved out of the room. The next thing she knew, she was sitting in front of the bathroom mirror with Yang standing her, brush and shampoo bottle in hand.

"Alright," said Yang. "Time to get to work."

-x-

"Uh," said Aero, "does anyone know what just happened?"

"Ruby was awkward and Yang heard the word hair," said Weiss. "There isn't much left to explain, though I would like it if we could have one normal day."

"Weird _is_ pretty much the norm around here, Weiss," said Blake. "Were you really expecting that to change?"

"A girl can dream, can't she?"

"Yang!" came a shout from the bathroom.

"Sounds like they're having a fun time to me," said Taiyang.

-x-

"Yang," said Ruby for the umpteenth time, "I told you I can wash my own hair, thank you very much."

"Come on Rubes," her sister responded, "you used to love it when I did your hair. You always looked so cute afterwards."

"Are you saying I'm not cute now?"

"I don't know. Let's get a second opinion. Oh, Aer…"

"Yang!" she said with a red face.

The brawler had to laugh at her sister's response. Personally, Yang was really enjoying teasing her little sister. After all, what good is a little sister if you can't tease them now and again? Still, the blonde knew she'd have to bring up what was on her mind eventually. She'd taken the first opportunity to get Ruby alone she could find. Now, she'd have to act on it.

"Hey, Ruby," she said, still trying to clean the mess on top of Ruby's head.

"Yes," Ruby responded in an irritated voice.

"What, uh… what do you think of Aero?"

"What do you mean?" she said while blushing. "You don't mean like…you know."

"Well," said Yang, "only if you really…"

"Yang!"

The blonde laughed at her sister's embarrassment, but a little less than she had before.

"No," said Yang. "I meant about his story. About… about Mom."

A strong silence overtook the room. Yang knew very well how strongly Ruby might react to her question, but she figured it was better to bring it up now. She'd promised Aero she'd help him bring up his problem to Ruby. The sooner that issue was taken care of, the better.

"Why do you ask?" said Ruby, her voice hollow.

"I… well, I…" Yang sighed and decided to handle this the way she handled everything: with the direct approach.

"Ruby, I need you to trust me."

"Yang, what are you talking…"

"Sis," she said earnestly, "I just need you to listen."

"Okay, okay," said Ruby. "What's gotten into you? You're acting really weird."

"This is kinda a weird thing to talk about."

Yang took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"Were...were you planning on going to Mom's grave soon? I know it's been a while, so...I figured you'd probably go soon."

"Why?" she said. "I mean, yes, but why do you want to know?"

Yang remembered back to late the night before and the conversation she'd had with Aero. She understood why he'd come to her for advice, but felt it should be Ruby who made the final call. Even though she'd told him Ruby wouldn't get mad, Yang wasn't sure exactly how she'd respond.

"I just think that maybe it would be good if… if you took Aero with you when you went. I think it's important that he's there."

"Yang," said Ruby, turning around to face her sister, "what's wrong? You can tell me."

"Just trust me, Rubes. It's not my place to say."

Yang saw Ruby open mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Girls?" said Taiyang. "Are you alright in there?"

"Yeah, Dad. We're just talking about girl stuff," said Yang. "Just trust me, Sis. It's important he goes with you."

The look on Ruby's face was filled with concern for her sister, but she eventually nodded in agreement.

"Good," said Yang with a half-smile. "Now, your hair is good, but you still have food all over your face. Pretty embarrassing if you ask me."

"What?" said Ruby, turning to look in the mirror.

The blonde brawler laughed and made her way out of the bathroom. She was relieved that she'd actually been able to keep her promise, but now she was worried about how her sister would respond to Aero's words. Personally, Yang was still trying to decide how she felt about them herself.

She walked back into the living room, meeting the swordsman's gaze as she entered. She nodded to the boy, hoping he'd understand. He nodded in return and nonchalantly went back to watching the TV show with the others. Yang went ahead and took that as a "yes."

 _I've done what I can, Aero. Now, you'd better be able to make me trust you._


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys. First, I'm sorry this is so late. Between extra hours at work, essay writing, and complete writer's block, I wasn't able to work on this much last week. There's a chance something similar may happen for next chapter, but I'll still try my hardest to get it done on time. As always, be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and questions on the story. I know where it's all going and it's just getting started, but, with the writer's block I'm having, any and all inspiration would be appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Though the midday sun was right overhead, the leaves protected both Ruby and Aero from the light as they made their way through the forest, the breeze and shade keeping them cool. Ruby was still overjoyed to be back in the place she grew up, but she had a somber feeling in her chest as the continued their walk. She'd have given anything just to know how to start a conversation and end the silence between them.

 _Just say something, dang it!_

"So," said Aero, "are you gonna tell me where we're going? Or why you invited me? Or what's in the backpack?"

"Oh," said Ruby, snapping back to reality, "uhm, you'll see when we get there."

"Fair enough," he replied, putting his hands behind his head, "but don't expect answers the next time I take you somewhere."

The image of Weiss looking over her shoulder filled Ruby's mind at the thought of Aero taking her somewhere, but she shook the thought from her head. To take it's place, Ruby took in the scenery around her. The summer had brought back all life to the island, and the sounds of birds singing in the trees reminded Ruby just how peaceful life could be without constant schoolwork and bad guy fighting.

"It's beautiful," said Aero, apparently reading her thoughts. "No matter where I travel, it's always the places closest to home that are the best to be in."

"Do you travel a lot?"

"All the time. I've visited villages all over Totum. You have to be familiar with your nation when you're basically expected to lead it. It's a duty I have. It can be difficult being away from home, but it's always nice to be in quiet places like this.

"I don't know about the royal duties part of it," Ruby said, smiling at the boy, "but I know what you mean. This forest is probably my favorite place to go to relax. I know it so well, I don't even need to follow the path anymore."

"I was wondering why we left that behind so long ago. I kinda figured you'd know the way to… wherever it is we're going."

"It's a place I know pretty well," she replied, her smile dropping.

"Ruby," the boy said, a hint of worry in his voice.

"It's nothing," she quickly said, putting a smile back on her face. The scythe-wielder hoped she would fall for her ruse, but she could tell by the look on his face that Aero was still concerned. Unfortunately, she knew he was right to worry. Ever since Yang suggested she take Aero with her to see the gravestone, Ruby had been debating whether it would be a good choice or not. Her sister told her right before they left that it was a good idea, but Ruby still had no idea why Yang was so set on her bringing their guest with her.

"Hey, Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"What's this?" Aero bent down and picked up a finger-length, metal shell off the ground. Based on the look of wear-and-tear, it was obvious it had been lying there for a long time. It only took Ruby a moment before she recognized it as one of her own sniper casings. She looked ahead and saw a clearing open up before them, reminding her what had happened the last time she'd been in these woods alone.

"That's actually mine," she said, leading him into the clearing. "It's a bullet case. You put a little bit of Dust in the middle of it, pull the trigger, and it shoots out a blast at whatever Grimm is in you way. When I used this, I was fighting an entire pack of Beowolves."

"Impressive," he said. "I'm betting the rest of these are yours too." True enough, they were walking over a patch of earth littered with metal. Ruby supposed that was the spot she finally finished off the last of the monsters, though it did look like she may have gone a bit overboard in the fight.

"Yeah," she said. "Let's just say I've seen more than enough monsters here. By the way, are you sure we shouldn't be doing anything about these guys?" She turned her head back to see what looked like a few dozen Beowolves slowly following the pair from a distance. Their numbers had been steadily growing, but Aero told her to just keep walking forward.

"I'm sure," he said nonchalantly.

"Any why don't we just fight them?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm a little tired," he said before yawning.

"So, we're just gonna ignore the pack of monsters who want to kill us?"

"Pretty much, yeah," he said with a smile. "Beta should keep most of them away. It's next to impossible to say if one of them isn't brave or stupid enough to try and attack, but we should be fine."

Ruby looked back and saw some of the younger looking Beowolves hopping around and growling at them. They were keeping their distance, but it was obvious they wanted nothing more than to attack them. She believed Aero was telling the truth about them staying away, but she put one hand on Crescent Rose just in case.

"You scared?" he said with a teasing smirk.

"Nope," she replied. "Just, uh, being prepared."

"If it bothers you that much, you could just fight them. I want stop you. I may even have the energy to help you."

The growls of the Grimm were getting louder as more and more creatures started joining in the parade.

"I thought you said Beta scared them."

"It does," he said, "but it also agitates them. The younger ones are probably just curious about what it is. The older ones… well, they're a bit harder to read."

"They're staying closer to the back."

"They're just being cautious."

Ruby was growing more and more anxious with every passing second. When someone dedicates their life to fighting something, it's more than a little difficult to just walk past it like it isn't there. She felt like she was nearing her breaking point.

"I just think that maybe we should…"

Ruby didn't get the chance to finish her sentence due to the loud growl coming from behind them. As Aero had said, one of the younger Beos was just brave/stupid enough to come charging at the teenagers. Feeling relieved that she now had a reason to fight, Ruby grabbed her weapon and fired a shot at the monster, blowing off the side of its head. The other Grimm started making their way towards them, their bloodlust stirred.

"Looks like we don't have choice now," Aero said with a sigh. "I just hope you're ready to fi...IS THAT A SCYTHE?!"

Ruby smiled a bit at the boy's shock. She had fully expanded her weapon of choice to its sniper-scythe form and, from the dropped jaw and shrunken pupils, Aero was definitely impressed with the design. Deciding to give him a taste of what Cresent Rose could do, Ruby dashed forward and quickly cut apart the first line of Grimm in a series of twisting slashes. She jumped up and shot one Grimm in the face, the recoil knocking her back to Aero's position.

"I believe you said something about helping," she said with a smirk.

"Well," he said, unsheathing his swords, "this'll be fun."

The two charged into the fray with smiles on their faces. Despite her rapid movements, Ruby was trying hard to keep an eye on Aero's fighting style. It seemed controlled, like each motion was part of a set he practiced for hours on end to perfect. Each backhanded sweep of his blades found their target, but he didn't seem to have any kind of ferocity. It took her a moment to realize, but she eventually remembered she was in the middle of fight and needed to react before the red jaws of the Grimm directly in front of her ripped her to shreds.

"Going up!" she shouted, twisting her scythe around the beast's neck. She fired a shot straight down, decapitating the monster and sending her flying into the air. Taking aim at a few Grimm advancing on Aero, she unloaded three rounds from her rifle before landing on an unlucky Beo's head, smashing it into the ground. Another Grimm tried leaping towards her, but was knocked away by the body of another monster that was flung through the air. Ruby turned to the side to see Aero with his hand raised, apparently responsible for the flying Beowolf.

"Thanks, Aero," she shouted.

"You're welcome, Speedster," he replied while sweeping the legs off one of his opponents. "I've got another one coming your way."

One of the Grimm started to glow with a silver light and slowly rise from the ground. Aero pushed his hand out in front of him and tossed the monster in Ruby's direction. She took the hint and sprinted at the beast before jumping into the air and bisecting it. The halves knocked over two more Beo's, stunning them enough for Ruby to land the killing blows.

After a few more hacks and slashes, it looked like the Grimm were finally realizing they had no chance at victory. The few that had survived the battle were starting to flee into the forest, not wanting to meet the same fate as the others.

"Hmp," Ruby hummed with a smirk. "They never stood a chance."

"I don't think this fight is over yet."

Ruby turned around to see something large and white coming into the clearing. It was a Beowolf, but not one that Ruby had ever seen. The black spikes on its back were menacing and the girl couldn't help but feel scared at the sight of it. Whatever kind of Grimm it was, she knew it was more dangerous than the others. She looked at Aero to his reaction.

"You think we should…" she started.

"...kill that one. Yes."

Ruby started by firing a few shots at the mysterious white Grimm. Each attack made contact, but the beast just seemed to brush off the bullets like they were nothing. It roared before sprinting at the girl with a speed no Beo she'd ever fought had had. She stood in fear for a moment, but was saved at the last second by a bright flash of light that shot the monster to the side.

"Ruby!" Aero shouted, his hand raised in the air.

"Sorry. I…"

"Look out!"

The monster came back for a second round, but Ruby was ready this time. She slashed her weapon at the beast, hoping to cut off a limb or two, but her attacks weren't even breaking the skin. Aero jumped in a moment later to aid the girl's offensive. Unlike Crescent Rose, Aero's blades looked like they were actually doing damage. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"What is this thing!?" Ruby shouted through the carnage.

"Something ancient, I'd bet," Aero shouted back.

The boy blocked one of the beast's claws, but was still knocked back by the force. Ruby felt the anger in her chest growing as she thought about Aero being hurt. The monster howled at them before attempting to escape into the forest.

"You're not getting away!" she shouted.

"Ruby, wait!" said Aero, but Ruby was already chasing the Grimm. Fortunately for her, it's bright, white color made it stand out against the green of the forest. She picked up her speed, causing a trail of wind to form behind her, and readied herself to attack the beast again. At the speed she was going, she thought her next attack would surely work.

"Take this!" she screamed before swinging her weapon. Sure enough, a trail of red did appear on the Grimm's body, but the look on its face worried Ruby. If she didn't know any better, she would've said the monster was smiling. She faced her head forward and felt her pupils shrink in fear. She was sprinting full speed toward a cliff.

Ruby dug her scythe into the ground, hoping to slow her down, but the momentum carried the Huntress-in-training forward. She lost her grip on her weapon and flew into the air, barely missing the edge of the cliff as she landed. Somehow managing to steady herself, she rose to her feet and turned around to see the monster advancing on her.

The hooded girl looked around, trying to find a way to flee, but the narrow cliff didn't have a good route to run. She considered jumping from the cliff, but, without Crescent Rose, she doubted she'd survive such a massive fall with so little aura left. It wasn't like Jaune was gonna show up out of nowhere and knock her to side. Her choice on what to do was made for her, unfortunately, when the Beowolf slashed down at her, knocking her backwards into the air.

 _Wha...what?_

The thoughts in the girl's head wouldn't form as she felt her body being pulled down to the earth below. Fear was something she always felt a bit of during fights, but the fear she felt now was different than the just the fear of losing. She always knew it was true, but it wasn't until that moment she truly understood the danger of being a Huntress.

 _Am… am I gonna…?_

Tears started forming in the young girl's eyes as she plummeted closer and closer to ground.

 _Mom..._

She braced herself for the impact, but instead felt herself suddenly stop moving altogether. Instead of the hard ground, Ruby felt a warm feeling encase her entire body. She couldn't move, but she could see the silver light wrapped around her, pulling her back to the edge of the cliff.

The silver bubble let her down once she reached the top. Through watery eyes, she saw Aero standing in front of the Beowolf with a look of exhaustion on his face. She looked on as the monster picked the boy up and tossed him over the same cliff Ruby had just fallen over.

"Aero!"

The boy fell for a moment, but quickly turned in the air, his body wrapped in the same light Ruby's had been in. His face was filled with pain, but Ruby could also see the determination in his eyes. He floated in the air for a moment before rocketing back at the beast and slashing it across the chest. The open wound was red and the beast was howling in pain.

"Ruby! Now!"

The girl's battle instincts kicked in and she charged at the monster. It tried to slash her, but she dove under its claw and somersaulted to where Crescent Rose was sticking out of the ground. Picking up the weapon, Ruby unloaded shot after shot into the gash on the creature's chest. It wasn't long until the beast tumbled backwards from the force and fell over the side of the cliff, howling the whole way down.

"We...we did it," she said, collapsing on the rose covered ground.

"Yeah," said Aero, barely holding himself up by using his sword as a balance. "I told you it'd be fun, didn't I?"

Despite the fear she'd had just a moment ago, Ruby actually laughed with genuine relief at the boy's words. She was just happy she was alive to hear them.

"You sure did," she said, raising up a bit, her breathing still heavy. "That was so cool. Were you flying?"

"It's not something I can do all the time," he responded, dropping down on his back to be at Ruby's level. "It's difficult lift people up and even harder to control their direction, but it's not impossible."

"Is that how you saved me?" the girl said in a nervous voice.

"Well," the boy said in an embarrassed voice, "it's not like I was gonna let you fall."

"Thank you."

"No...no problem, Little Speedster," he said while scratching the back of his head.

 _Is he… blushing?_

"But, more importantly," he said, right before jumping up on his knees and holding clenched fists in front of him, "when were you gonna show my your awesome scythe?!"  
"Oh, I guess just whenever, you know." Ruby was having a hard time looking Aero in the eye. For some reason she didn't understand, the genuine, childlike awe in his eyes made him look, dare she admit it, kinda cute.

"It was amazing," he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "That is easily one of the most incredible things I've ever seen! Did you make it yourself? How does it work? Does it come in silver?"

"Yes, I'll tell you later, and no, but she is really cool, isn't she?" she said with a giddy laugh.

"Absolutely!" He looked like he was about to say something else, but put a hand to his chin and closed his eyes.

"Aero?" she asked.

"I was just thinking," he said, opening his eyes, "how would you like it if I offered to make your weapon even better?"

"Better how?"

"I have some plates of Adamantine I'm not using any more. If you want, I could give them to…"

Aero didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. Instead, Ruby quickly got up and put her hands on his shoulders, her eyes wide in excitement.

"Yeeeeeeesssssssss," she said fiercely, shaking the boy.

"Alright then," he said with a smile. "I'll help you out in anyway you need."

Ruby tried to listen, but she was already thinking about what she wanted to use the metal for. A sharper blade? Better casing? A new attachment? She just couldn't decide.

"Hey, Ruby," he said, bringing her back to reality. "What's that?"

She took her hands off the boy's shoulders and turned to see what he was talking about. Down the side of the cliff, off in the distance, a stone surrounded by red roses was situated near the edge. Its shape made it obvious it wasn't just a normal rock, but Ruby knew full well why that piece of stone was there. A strange feeling rose in her chest at the thought of bringing Aero to see it while the backpack she wore seemed to become ten times heavier. She was terrified of what would happen next.

"Ruby?" he said in a worried voice.

"Oh," she said, her voice somber. "Don't worry. You'll see when we get there."


	24. Chapter 24

**Happy Thanksgiving! It's been a while since I've uploaded, but I'm still trying my best to get back on a schedule. I'm not sure if it'll be this coming week when things get back on track, but it won't be long. All I'm really concerned with now is surviving working Black Friday as a retail cashier, which should be fun. Anyways, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your thoughts and questions. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **P.S. There may be a little fluff thrown in this chapter. If that's not your thing, just hold out for a little a bit. Things are gonna start picking up really soon. You'll see why ;)**

Dunden was relieved to finally step out of the strange, submerged ship. It was far too compact for his taste, making him feel like he was backed into a corner. He firmly clutched what he'd named Psi, the Shard of Omega in his pocket, and followed the pyromancer as she walked into the light.

"So, this is the hole in the ground the White Fang here call home," said Mercury. "I'm not exactly impressed."

The violet-eyed boy couldn't understand how anyone couldn't be impressed by the scene before him. The room they'd entered must have been part of a massive cavern, far beneath the surface. Metal plates covered the walls as uniformed workers worked on moving crates or typing something on the computer consoles. It didn't take Dunden long to realize that every single one of them was actually a faunus.

The black-haired boy looked back to see several similar ships being loaded with troops and launched into the sea. Looking into the masked, moving masses, the Totomian felt a strange feeling, almost like he was getting a headache. His attention shifted to one of the ships just moments before it sank beneath the waters, leaving him with one question.

 _ **Huh. Why am I so annoyed all of a sudden?**_

"I was wondering when you'd arrive."

The young man's attention was taken back by the appearance of a bull faunus a black suit and a scabbard on his side. Dunden wasn't sure what he thought of the Grimm masks he and the others wore, but this particular faunus seemed to carry himself much higher than the others did. It was obvious to Dunden that this was who the pyromancer had come to see.

 _ **I really need to learn her name.**_

"There were… complications," she replied.

"I know," he responded. "The news has been about nothing but what happened to Ironwood on his ship. Some are buying the malfunction story, but there are plenty in the streets of Atlas who aren't so sure. Many are leaning toward the idea that the White Fang was responsible."

"And why are they thinking that?" she asked.

"Because activities in Atlas have increased significantly in the past few weeks. The general sent too many resources to Vale, leaving his home territory vulnerable."

Dunden felt a strange pull in his gut as he listened to the bull faunus speak. The White Fang wasn't something Summer mentioned often, but she said it was supposed to be some form of non-violent civil rights group, but the atmosphere in the room was anything but peaceful.

"Good," she said with a smile. "Things are going according to plan then."

"If the plan is still intact," the faunus said, "why is he here?"

"Uh," said Roman, walking toward the masked man, "how about because you need me to make the rest of your little Vale movement a succ-"

"Not you, Roman," he said. "Him."

The bull faunus raised his hand and pointed directly at Dunden. Despite the mask, the boy knew the swordsman was trying to make an intimidating face. He could feel the hate and distrust flowing around him, something the Shard was definitely responding too.

"Adam," the red-dressed woman said, "meet Dunden, the newest addition to our little group."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the masked man said, his voice rough. He extended his hand out to Dunden, but the boy just stared at it, wondering what the gesture meant.

"It's called a handshake, kid," said Roman. "We may be murderers, but we don't have to be rude."

 _ **Murderers…**_

Dunden reached out and shook the faunus' hand, the whole act feeling strange and foreign to him.

"So," Adam said, "why are you here, human?"

"That's something I hope to discover as well," he responded. "For now, just know that I owe this woman a debt, one I intend to repay."

"Fair enough," the faunus said. "If Cinder saw fit to bring you here, that's good enough for the time being."

Glancing sideways to the young woman, Dunden had to physically fight the smirk from growing on his face. Despite his stonelike expression, the boy at least knew what emotion was and how to savor small victories. Her eyes were closed, obviously in annoyance, but, surprisingly, Dunden didn't feel any harsh negative emotions coming from her. If anything, she was just mildly annoyed.

"Ahh," said Emerald, "you ruined the game."

"What game?" asked the faunus.

"It's nothing," Cinder said, composing herself. "Let's just get to what we came here for."

"Of course," said Adam. "Follow me."

The group started heading towards a nearby door when Dunden suddenly stopped in his tracks, a familiar and overwhelming icy feeling overtaking him. A flash of white light went by his eyes before the whole world seemed to become one, bleached blur. The cold in his soul only grew deeper, right up to point where he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a voice from behind him, filling him with fear. Though he couldn't see who it was, Dunden knew the voice all too well.

" **Free me, Dunden. The Shards are…"**

The voice of his brother was soon blocked out by the sound of wind around them. The violet-eyed boy turned around, expecting to face Rize, but only saw his father lying on whatever part of the white void was the ground. He looked worn and weak and Dunden could tell the aura was slowly being sucked out of him.

" **Father,"** he said, taking a step toward the king.

"Dunden."

The boy was snapped out of his vision by the sound of Cinder's voice. He looked around, trying to make sense of where he was. For the second time now, he'd experienced some kind of vision he had no explanation for.

"You look worried," Cinder said, a noticeable amount of concern in her voice.

"Really?" said Roman. "How can you tell? I swear, that kid hasn't so much as raised an eyebrow since we fished him out of the sea."

"You mean when I fished _all_ of you out of the sea," said Mercury.

"My point still stands."

Dunden wasn't paying attention to any of them. Rize was somewhere out there with their father. That's all the boy was concerned with. He had no idea what was happening to them, but at least he knew where to start looking for answers.

"Are you alright?" said the pyromancer.

"Your name," he finally said, "Cinder, refers to what remains after an inferno. They start weak, but are still able to start a new blaze."

He turned to look directly into her eyes.

"I need to grow something from the ashes as well," he said. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get to work, the less time he'll have to wait on me."

-x-

Aero was worried about Ruby. Since they started making their way to the stone, she hadn't uttered a single word. What's more, she had put her hood up, keeping him from getting a good look at her face. This didn't keep him from knowing their was nothing on it resembling a smile.

As they got closer to their destination, the prince looked more closely at the rock, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. It was clearly some kind of altar, but he didn't know for what purpose. The red roses blowing in the wind gave the stone a beautiful, serene feel, matched by the somberness he felt coming from Ruby.

It wasn't until they reached the stone that Aero remembered just why they'd come all this way.

"That's… that's her name."

Ruby remained silent.

"What does the rest of it say?" he asked. "I can't read it."

"Thus kindly I scatter," she replied quietly.

The two stood side by side, still as the stone they were standing over. It felt like an eternity for Aero, who was beginning to understand why Yang had thought of this place. He had to admit, it was the best place to say what was on his mind, but, looking down at letters, Aero only felt the weight in his chest grow. He reached up to grab Beta, but the relief barely came.

"You do that when you're upset," Ruby said, turning to face him. "Can I help?"

Now it was Aero's turn to keep silent. He couldn't bring himself to look Ruby in the eye, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to handle the guilt. A little voice in his head told him shouldn't worry, that she'd understand, just like Summer would, but that only made him feel worse.

"Aero?" she said softly.

"It's a gravestone, isn't it?"

"It's a memorial, yes," she said after pausing for a moment. "We couldn't have a burial, so we made do with this."

 _ **A burial…**_

"I just to come out here all the time," she said, a little more cheerful than before. "I'd tell her all about my training and how we were all getting by, but I didn't get to come as much once I started at Beacon. I guess I just didn't have time to see her."

"Understatement of the century," Aero said. "Longer, actually."

"What do you… oh."

A sad smile grew on Aero's face. He knew it was going to be hard, but telling Yang was at least somewhat easier. Looking at Ruby, the boy wondered how he'd never realized how selfish he'd been. The girl in front of him made it obvious, almost making him break down.

"She used to tell stories about you," he said, his voice raspy. "A little angel that made her life worth living. I'll be honest, I feel like an idiot for not noticing what was wrong when she said that."

"What do you…"

"Do I have to spell it out!" he said loudly, causing her to jump back. The look of hurt on her face made Aero immediately regret his outburst. He didn't mean to yell, but something was stirring inside him. It almost didn't feel natural, but he needed to get something out.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," he said, his breathing getting heavier. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Aero," she said calmly, reaching out to him. "I know you didn't mean to shout."

"No," the boy said, backing away, "it's more than that. It's so much more than that. I'm sorry for… this! This and everything this means!"

Aero gestured to the stone, his eyes getting watery. Ruby looked like she was about to say something, but kept quiet, waiting for the boy to continue.

"There shouldn't be a gravestone here," he said, almost hysterically. "We shouldn't be here. No, _I_ shouldn't be here! The person who should be here hasn't been since the day I used those stupid Shards!" He turned around and toward the cliff, covering his eyes while trying to get a grip on himself.

"Ruby," he continued, "I'm the reason you thought she was dead. _I'm_ the reason there's a gravestone here. If it wasn't for me, you'd be home right now, talking to her and laughing with her and just being with her. All the things I've been doing for years! **There shouldn't be a stupid stone!"**

On an impulse like he'd never felt, Aero took out one of his blades and drove it into the rock with both hands, dropping to his knees as he did so. The cliff actually shook from the impact for a moment, but Aero didn't notice. He didn't even notice the sharp, freezing pain in his veins growing stronger by the second. All he cared about was how he'd stolen Summer away from her home, her family, and, most importantly, the Little Speedster herself. The anger he felt at himself kept growing, along with the feeling in his blood.

That is, until he felt warm embrace around his neck. It felt like Beta's warmth for a moment, but, somehow, the feeling felt even deeper.

"No," Ruby said, pulling him in closer. "It isn't your fault."

"But," he said, his head on her shoulder, "I…"

"Would never do anything to hurt us."

The pain his Aero's veins was still there, but was slowly washing away as she spoke.

"You can't blame yourself," she continued. "You didn't know any of this would happen. Your were just a kid, remember?"

"You were just a kid too," he said, not looking up. "A little girl whose mother wasn't coming home."

"I remember," she said, pulling him closer, "and it hurt, but it wasn't because of you."

"But I…!"

"Didn't know what you were doing."

"Still, I…"

"Wasn't alone. You're brother was there too. You were scared."

"But, Dunden… he wouldn't… he wasn't…"

"And it's okay." Aero felt a hand pull his face up out of Ruby's shoulder, making him look her in the eye. To his surprise, she was actually smiling at him. He was the person who stole her mother away, and she was _smiling_ at him.

He just couldn't take it.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be."

Aero was pulled in close again, but he was having trouble concentrating on any one thing. The logical side of his brain told him that she was right and he was overreacting, but something far deeper was pushing him forward. In just a moment, he felt fear, anger, shame, and confusion all race in at once, just as it had when he met Risse in the castle after the warning bells sounded. Thinking of this only reminded him of how Summer rushed in to save him. The fact that her daughter was telling him she wasn't angry wasn't helping his guilt either.

 _Dang it, Ruby. Why do you have to be so much like her?_ _Why do you have to be so much like your mother?_

"You know," she said, "you remind me a lot of her."

Aero's eyes widened in shock and he looked up at her still smiling face.

"What?" he asked.

"Well," Ruby continued, "you care about people. That's the first thing. Mom would always tell us we needed to help others, no matter what. That's why I want to be a huntress, and I can tell she said the same kinds of things to you."

It's true, Summer was the one who pressed him more than anyone to fight for good. Thinking about it more, Aero wondered if that was one of the reasons his father had let her stay.

"You don't turn people away," she said, "even if you just met them. I'm not exactly a people person, but Mom wasn't either. That didn't keep her from accepting people though. I've seen you do that with everyone you've met since you came here. Part of me hopes I do the same thing."

"Well," he said, wiping his eyes, "you are choosing to talk to a guy who crashed into you twice. I'd say that counts as friendly."

The hooded girl laughed, making the sharp pain Aero was feeling disappear almost completely. Until the moment it disappeared, he hadn't fully noticed just how much it physically hurt. In relief, he laughed along with her.

"Hey, Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," he said earnestly. "I don't know what came over me."

"You're welcome."

For a few seconds, Aero was perfectly content just knowing she wasn't angry. He himself was far from accepting what he'd done, but he felt a new drive in his chest. No matter what, he was going to get Summer back home, not matter what. But first, he had something else to deal with.

"Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"You can let go now."

Aero didn't know if he'd said something wrong, but Ruby's face immediately turned the same shade of red as her hood and she quickly let go, throwing herself backwards.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her hands in front of her. "I was just thinking "He needs a hug" so I gave you a hug but not like a hug hug just a _hug_ and you were calming down so I hugged tighter but not like _closer_ but it had to be closer because…"

"A simple soul."

"Huh?" she said quickly stopping.

Aero softly laughed at the look on the girl's face. He didn't know if that's what was funny or if it was the whole situation, but something in his chest felt a million times better as he heard her speak. It reminded him of something his father had told him, time and time again.

"It's an old Totomian saying," Aero replied. "There is nothing more valuable than a simple soul."

"Why? What's that?"

"To you," he said with a smile, "there's no use explaining. You'll just have to trust me."

"You did help me fight through a couple dozen monsters earlier," she said. "Not to mention the weird white one. I'd say it's pretty obvious that I trust you."

"I won't make you regret it, then."

"I know you won't."

The two stood up a few seconds later, Aero pulling his sword out of the stone as he did so. Now that it was over, the prince did feel a bit embarrassed by the whole situation. First, he had lost control almost out of nowhere, which was something he couldn't ever remember doing before. Second, there was the whole "hugging" thing. He didn't notice it in the moment, but he definitely felt… something. Definitely something.

Ruby's face suddenly perked up, confusing Aero. He watched as the girl took off her backpack and held it in front of her. She looked a bit unsure, even glancing up at him for a moment, but she eventually reached in and pulled a familiar looking white hood.

"Aw man," he said jokingly. "It's almost like you're trying to make me have another episode."

Ruby looked genuinely concerned for a moment, but Aero smiled softly to let her know he was fine.

"I just thought that… well, maybe I should bring it," she said. "It guess seeing it makes me realize that things really are different." She put her hand behind her head and put on an embarrassed grin. "I do feel a little embarrassed about talking to a rock now."

"Don't be," Aero said. "Once we find her, you can tell her everything, face-to-face."

Now, it looked like it was Ruby's turn to tear up a bit. Something in Aero clicked when he saw her in that state, so, fighting the embarrassment, he decided to do something.

"You know," he said, "I do owe you a hug."

She didn't say anything in response, but the look in her eyes gave him the okay. He wrapped her up tight, only to feel her pull him in a second later. Aero didn't know why, but, for the first time since he'd been in his crazy, new time, he felt a sense of peace around him.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

A surge of energy came rushing out of Beta, absolutely no warning coming before hand. His eyes opened in shock, just as a massive wind gust came from the direction of the forest. It nearly caused to two to topple over, but instead did something much worse.

"The hood!"

Ruby's panicked shout was barely audible over the air pushing past his ears, but Aero still saw the white garment start to blow towards the cliff. The girl sprinted towards the hood, rose petals trailing behind her, and the boy reached out with his Grip to stop the cloak in the air. It stopped moving at the exact moment Ruby tried to grab onto it. That's when both of them stood wide-eyed in shock.

Aero could feel the aura surge from the hood to Ruby to him to Beta, but he still didn't know how it was possible. The sensation was similar to when he'd first been shot forward, forcing him to admit it was real; however, he had no answer for how or why.

Ruby had reached out for the hood, but she never reached it. Instead, she'd grabbed a hand. A hand belonging to someone very familiar to both of them.

Floating over the edge of the cliff like a ghost was the faint image of Summer Rose.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but, for those who have messaged me and those wondering, I'm not stopping the story. If anything like that were to happen, I'd likely put up a chapter explaining why. Fortunately, that won't be happening anytime soon. This story will keep picking up, just like the shOW IS FINALLY DOING! Seriously, I still have goosebumps after "Fall" premiered. To celebrate this and finals week being over, I've decided to break all of your collective hearts because I'm evil :) Be sure to favorite, follow and comment your thoughts and opinions on the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

The two huntress-in-training were staring each other down across the small patch of grass. Weiss raised Myrtenaster up and pointed it toward her faunus opponent, hoping to get some kind of reaction. Unfortunately for her, Blake just smirked at the heiress and readied Gambol Shroud for their duel.

Deciding to try for an early lead, Weiss dashed forward at her teammate, hoping to land a jab. The black haired girl, to Weiss' surprise, didn't move, but instead took the attack head on. The quickly disappearing body of her target let the heiress knew she had just struck one of Blake's Shadow clones. The faunus struck back once Weiss was off guard, but found herself standing on a glowing glyph. The force shooting her upwards let her know she'd just made a mistake.

"Ha," said Weiss, "take that!"

"Why don't I give it back?" said Blake, twisting in the air. Weiss could see the glowing purple aura around her friend's weapon, letting her know an energy wave was about to come her way. She quickly rolled to the side, avoiding the attack. What came next a rapid series of clashes as the swordswomen tried their best to outdo each other.

"I still thinks it's weird you two are training so soon," said Yang, who was standing porch. "I mean, break just started."

The two duelists momentarily stopped their fight and turned towards their blonde teammate.

"You make it sound like we shouldn't be doing anything," said Weiss. "Just because we aren't at school doesn't mean we can slack off."

"Uggggh," said Yang, falling onto a chair. "You don't have to mention school so soon. At least we aren't like dad and have to go back today."

"Didn't he say he was just going to pick up a few things?" said the heiress.

"Meh," replied Yang. "School is school."

"We still have to keep training," said Blake. "The White Fang are still active and we'll need to keep up our strength to find out what they're doing."

Weiss had to agree with her teammate on that matter. Despite their… _differing_ views on a certain faunus rights/terrorist group, the heiress respected Blake's dedication to her cause. Though she'd never say it outloud, Weiss was slowly coming around to the idea that the White Fang members may not all be the murderers she thought they were… maybe.

"Speaking of school, by the way," said Weiss, earning a groan from Yang, "didn't your father tell you to keep an eye on Aero while he was away? You know, make sure he didn't try anything funny with a certain someone, hmm?"

The albino smirked at her teammate, trying to arouse some embarrassed, sisterly anger inside her. She had to admit that maybe she was taking the teasing a bit too far, but, then again, she was having far too much fun to stop. There was a flash of shock in Yang's face at the mention of the boy, but it was quickly replaced by a more somber expression.

"Yeah," the blonde replied, "but… well, there's just something they needed to do. I think I can leave them alone for a little bit."

"You really are starting to trust him, aren't you?" asked Blake.

"I guess I am," she said with a weak smile. "I had a little talk with him last night about… some things. Honestly, I think I misjudged him."

"But do you believe him?" asked Weiss. If she was being honest with herself, the albino was still a long way from believing Aero's claims. She knew there were plenty of things in Remnant that couldn't be explained, but time travel still sounded a bit farfetched.

"Actually, I think I do."

Weiss and Blake both perked up at Yang's words. When they met, Yang seemed to be the despise the boy's very existence. Now, she was saying she believed the stories of a complete stranger.

"He knows my mom," she continued. "That much I know. I don't know if I should be saying it, but he feels really guilty about her being gone. To be perfectly honest, I don't think anyone could sound like he did and be lying."

"Yang," said Weiss, "I…"

"Hey," the blonde said as she stood up, "let me know if they come back. I've got to go think about some stuff." The brawler walked over to the side of the home slide the door open, closing it once she disappeared from sight.

"Something is really wrong with her," said Blake. "Do you think we should go talk to her?"

Weiss thought about it for a moment. It actually shocked her a bit that Blake of all people wanted to start a conversation, but she decided against intruding on their teammate's privacy.

"No," she said. "This seems like the kind of thing she'll deal with on her own. If she needs help, we'll give it to her. Right now, she just needs some alone time."

"Wow," said Blake, her eyes widened a bit, "that actually sounded pretty wise for a spoiled brat."

"Hey!" said the spoiled heiress in mock anger.

"So," said the faunus, raising her swords once more, "ready to start again?"

In response, Weiss raised her weapon forward and formed a glyph beneath her. The spinning image of a clock appeared on the grassy earth, spinning quickly beneath her feet.

 _You might be faster than me, but this should even the… what the…?_

The world seemed to turn wavy around Weiss, almost giving her a sense of nausea. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw several shadowy figures sprint into the forest. She recognized them as Grimm, but, instead of turning to fight, the monsters looked like they were trying to flee from something. The heiress deactivated her semblance a moment later, making the world turn back to normal.

"Did you just see…"

"A pack of Beowolves look like a litter of scared puppies?" said Blake. "Yes."

"Yes, that," said Weiss, "but I meant to whole wavy thing that just happened."

"Maybe you messed up your glyph," the faunus suggested.

"Yeah," she said, unsure of what was going on. Weiss didn't know if it was the nausea or what, but her gut was telling her something was very, _very_ wrong.

-x-

"Mom."

Ruby stood in absolute disbelief of who was in front of her. She'd reached out to grab a piece of clothing, but instead found the warm and soft hand a person. The hood itself was floating in a way that made it seem like it was being worn, but both it and the woman were suspended in midair like spirits.

"Mom," she said again, "is that you?"

Her mother smiled at her for a moment, making Ruby's heartbeat surge with emotion. It was her. After years, Summer Rose was right in front of her.

The woman 's eyes moved up, now looking at something behind Ruby. She said something strange that the girl didn't understand, confusing her, until she heard another, deeper voice sound in response.

"Summer," Aero said, "I… I…"

It dawned on Ruby that Aero was with them. In the moment, she was so shocked she could barely remember her own name. The boy quickly said something back to her mother, but he sounded just as shocked and confused as she was.

A moment later, Ruby felt an embrace around her. Summer had reached out and pulled the silver eyed girl in close. The scythe wielder couldn't even move to return to embrace. Her limbs simply wouldn't budge.

"Ruby," she said softly, looking into her eyes, "I love you."

The world around Ruby became absolutely motionless. The breeze had stopped, the forest was silent, and her very heartbeat felt like it disappeared. For a moment, the smiling, teary eyed face of her mother was all there was.

That is, until it started to fade.

Slowly, Ruby felt the wind start to pick up behind her. The cloak, along with its owner, started to drift over the cliffside as the breeze grew stronger. Feeling the onset of panic, the girl desperately reached out for her mother's hand.

"Mom," she said fearfully. "Mom!"

Their hands finally connected, but Ruby could feel it growing lighter and lighter with every moment. She tried holding on tighter, but only felt the small weight of an object in the woman's palm, not that it mattered to her at the moment. All she wanted was for the flickering image of Summer Rose to stop fading away.

"I'm sorry, my little Ruby."

"Mom," she said, her voice weak. "You can't… you can't…"

"Ruby, I…"

Summer wasn't able to finish her sentence. Instead, what remained of her ghostly form dropped off the cliffside, plummeting like a stone as the breeze stopped once more. If not for the pair of hands behind her holding her back, Ruby wouldn't have thought twice about jumping out towards the falling white mass.

"You can't leave me again!"

With tear filled eyes, the young girl watched as a bright flash of light lit up before the white hood fell on the cold ground.

 _Where are you? Where are you?!_

"Ruby," said Aero, "stay here."

The young girl could barely make out the words the boy was saying. She watched as he jumped over the cliffside, a silver light encasing his body, and fell towards where the hood had landed. It was only a few moments before he reached his destination and picked up the snowy garment. He stood there for a moment while the lack of wind cast an eerie silence across the forest.

 _She's… she's there right? She has to be._

Ruby watched as Aero slowly rose back to the cliffside, carrying the hood in his arms. _Just_ the hood.

 _She's… no…_

"Ruby," the boy said softly, landing next to her, "she isn't… I don't…"

"Where is she?" she said quietly, her voice barely audible.

"Ruby," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders, the movement causing her to drop the item in her hand "please listen. Summer… she… she's… gone."

 _Gone._

 _Gone.._

 _Gone…_

-x-

"How long will you be gone, mama?" asked Ruby. The little girl was sitting on the bedside, watching her mother put on her hood, preparing to leave on her nest mission. She was always sad when her mom would have to leave for a few days, but still felt the excitement of knowing she was out fighting monster and saving people.

"I shouldn't be gone too long," Summer replied, scooping Ruby up in her arms. "A few days at most."

"We'll play when you get back, right?" she asked.

"Of course," she replied with a laugh, "and I'll have a plate of sweets for you to munch on too."

"Mom," said Ruby with sparking eyes, "when I grow up, I want to be a huntress, just like you."

The young girl's mind instantly filled with thoughts of the stories Summer would read to her every night. The tales of action and adventure were very dear to Ruby, who was always eager to hear how her parents were just like those heroes. She was so wrapped up in her own little world, she barely noticed the saddening face of the woman in front of her.

Summer put her daughter down and walked over to the door, Ruby following close behind her. They made their way to the bottom of the stairs where the rest of their family was waiting. Yang immediately jumped into her mother's arms and pulled her into a massive bear hug.

"You're gonna beat up lots of monsters, right?" asked an excited, pigtailed blonde.

"Yesh, Yang," she replied, "buh yur kinda cushing meh."

"Oops," she said. "Sorry."

"No fair," said the little hooded girl. "I want ups too!"

"I just picked you up," said Summer jokingly, to which Ruby angrily pouted. "Oh, alright."

Ruby was quickly picked right back into her mother's arms and tried to outdo Yang's affection by squeezing as hard as she could. It wasn't nearly as much force, but the little girl was still proud of her effort.

"How about we _all_ get ups," said their smiling father as he walked towards them. He put his arms around the girls and lifted all of them off their feet, spinning them around the room. The entire house echoed with the screams and laughter that followed soon after. A few seconds later, Taiyang stopped twirling them around and set them back on the ground.

"Be safe, Summer," he said.

"I will," she replied. The two leaned in and kissed each other, disgusting their viewing daughters.

"Ewwww," said Yang, sticking her tongue out.

"Gross gross gross gross gross," said Ruby. The adults just laughed at their daughters' reactions, until Summer bent down and wrapped them up in one last hug.

"I'll see you when I make it back home, girls," she said. "I love you."

"We love you too," the said in unison.

Ruby watched as her mother slowly stood up and walked toward the door. The hooded woman turned around a smiled one last time at her family before the door finally shut. The silver eyed girl was sad to see her go, but was already awaiting her return.

 _A few days really isn't long at all._

-x-

"Yang," said Ruby, "why does dad cry a lot now?"

The little girl was laying in her bed with her sister sitting on the edge. She'd just woken up from a nightmare and called out Yang for help. It was late, far past her bedtime, but her father had recently started letting them stay up later and later. There were times when he wouldn't even come kiss them goodnight. He just sat downstairs, waiting for their mom to come home.

"Ruby," the blonde replied, her voice breaking, keeping her from continuing.

"And where's mom?" she asked, the fear in voice growing. "It's been a month. That's way longer than a few days."

"Ruby," she replied, "please, stop…"

"I think I saw her in my dream. It was really red again, like always, but I thought I saw her."

"Sis…"

"Where's mom, Yang?"

"I don't…!" she started, but she couldn't finish.

The little girl was completely taken back by her sister's yell. The felt a few tears swell in her eyes, especially when she saw the same thing happening to Yang. On instinct, she crawled out from beneath her covers and wrapped her sister up in the biggest hug she could. In her innocent ignorance, however, she asked her question again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

-x-

"She said she'd come back," said Ruby. "When's mom coming home?"

"Ruby," said Aero, concerned with the distant look in the girl's eyes, "please look at me."

"She said she'd come back," she said again.

"I know, but…"

"She said she wouldn't leave me," she said once more, her body trembling.

Aero had no idea how to handle the situation. He had no idea what had happened or why Summer had showed up or why she disappeared or why she had…

"She said she'd come home."

At this point, Aero just held her as tight as he possibly could. Based on how she was speaking, he didn't think she even knew he was there. The shock of what was going on was likely too great, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be there for her. He sat in silence, not even paying attention to the emerald ring lying in the grass. Her words may not have made sense to him, but they broke the boy's heart nonetheless.

"Red like roses," she whimpered into his tear soaked shoulder. "The dreams are always red like roses."


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys! Sorry that I'm a little late, but it looks like this two week schedule will be around for a while. A hoping to get back to one week if I can, but more than that I'd just like to get back on some kind of track. While I'm thinking about it, I want to thank everyone for reading this and giving feedback. Honestly, I never thought this story would get close to 100 followers, at least not this close to the beginning. So, for all my readers and reviews: thank you :) As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comments any thoughts or questions about the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

"How is he, Oz?" asked Qrow.

"He'll survive," replied the headmaster, "but he's taken a serious blow."

"To the face, or his pride?"

"Yes."

Both veteran huntsmen were making their way toward their injured comrades hospital room. With school finally ending for both of them, the men were able to board ships for Atlas once they heard the news of Ironwood's attack.

Well, Ozpin heard the news. Qrow woke up to Ozpin's message about meeting up in Atlas around 2:00 a.m. that morning. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd been drinking after the campfire, but apparently alcohol and s'mores were enough to make him drop what he was doing and get on a cross-continental flight.

"So," said Qrow, still a little woozy, "did Glenda make the trip too?"

"Yes," Ozpin replied. "She's waiting for us in James' room now."

"Alone with Goodwitch in a hospital room," said grey haired man with a sly smile. "I bet Ironwood _looovvves_ that."

"I'm starting to think calling you may not have been the best idea."

"Come on, Oz. Nothing was gonna keep me from seeing my old pal when he's all bandaged up. Besides, it's not like I have anything else going on right now."

"I think we both know there's plenty going on."

The two stopped in an empty corridor, making sure no one else was around.

"Yeah," said Qrow, "there's quite a bit. I don't even know where to start. I gotta say, I don't know what's harder in all this, being a huntsman or an uncle."

"I think you're lucky," said Oz. "At least this mission will keep you close to home. Whatever this is, it's certainly a serious issue. We already deal with legends, only now we don't know the whole story."

"I learned a little bit more," said Qrow. "Apparently that silver gem is a lot more than a piece of jewelry. If the kid is telling the truth, we may have a pretty serious threat on our hands, but I can't say anything for certain."

"These are uncertain times, my friend," said Ozpin. "That's why you need to watch Aero carefully." A nurse appeared on one end of the hallway, prompting the men to continue on their way and stop talking so freely.

"I don't think I'm the only one who'll be watching him," said Qrow with a laugh. "I know Yang's ready to knock him out the moment he steps out of line."

"Or takes a step towards Ruby," Ozpin said with a sly smile, causing the scythe-wielder to glare in response. "Oh, come on. You must have noticed the girl's behavior by now."

"It's hard not too," he said in response, "but making a move would be very bad for his health."

Ozpin just laughed at his friend's reaction, but Qrow was far from joyous. It may have just been the splitting headache, but the idea of his protege getting lovey-dovey with someone made him want to throw up. Of course, that was probably just the nausea.

 _Well, it's a good thing I'm in a hospital. I wonder if they've got an anti-hangover pill._

The two reached their destination a few moments later. As expected, two guards were stationed outside of the general's room, which was far separated from the more public area of the hospital. Qrow halfway expected that he'd have to "convince" the guards to let them inside, but both moved out of the way once Ozpin introduced him as another one of Ironwood's acquaintances. They entered the room and, as much as he hated to admit it, the scythe wielder felt a quick pang of pity upon seeing the patient.

Ironwood was damaged. From how Ozpin described it, Qrow knew the tinman didn't have any broken bones, but that just made his state all the more uncomfortable to see. The military man wasn't one to let a few bumps and bruises impede him, but his entire right torso was covered by bandages covering burns Qrow didn't want to imagine. The image was unsettling, but the huntsman was even more concerned with the mask covering half of Ironwood's face.

"Holy crap," said Qrow. "What happened to you?"

In response, Ironwood tried to raise his body, but was gently pushed down by Goodwitch, who was sitting at his side. It was obvious to everyone that he shouldn't be moving, but it was just as clear from the look in his eye that the general wasn't keen on being so helpless.

"Guards," Ironwood said in a weak voice, "leave." At once, the guards left down the hallway. Ozpin walked over a second later and closed the door, shutting them off from the outside.

"So," said the slightly hungover man, "weapon malfunction, huh? Is that really the best story you Atlas specialists could come up with?"

The general looked at Qrow angrily, which was nothing new, but the gray haired man knew something was off just from looking Ironwood in the eye. There was a flash of something darker in his expression, but it was quickly cut off by a slight moan of pain.

"James," said Glenda, "you should stop trying to move. You're only going to hurt yourself more."

"We have bigger problems than a few little injuries," said Ironwood.

"A trail of second and third degree burns is a little injury?" she replied sternly. "That's not even mentioning the laceration they follow. A little deeper cut, and your condition would be much, _much_ worse." Her tone was somewhat harsh, but everyone in the room knew she just didn't want to see James put himself in unnecessary pain. Thankfully, he managed to calm himself down.

"James," said Ozpin, "what do you mean "bigger problems?"

Ironwood closed his uncovered eye and sighed.

"First and foremost," he said, "you're right, Qrow. There wasn't a weapon malfunction."

"Called it."

"It was actually our infiltrator, the Queen we've been searching for."

There was silence in the room at the mention of their mysterious adversary. Every ear listened closely to the general's next words.

"She and another girl broke into my airship and disabled the security system. Before we knew it, they had full access to the prison sector."

"Let me guess," said the scythe wielder, "Roman."

"You're… half right."

"Half?" asked Ozpin.

"There was someone else that escaped with them."

"Another pawn?" asked Goodwitch.

"I believe so," he replied, "but there is something very different about this one. Before being captured, he managed to singlehandedly take and hold one of our bases in the Vacuon desert. It looks like he was making a break for the kingdom itself, but lost control of his stolen ship and crashed. He also nearly managed to defeat one of my finest operatives before finally being taken in."

"He must be very skilled," said Ozpin. "Tell us, was he anyone recognizable? Anyone from the past?"

"No," said Ironwood. "Before the escape, I had no reason to believe he was tied to her at all. He was just a boy, maybe a little younger than our students."

"You're telling us that you got your ass kicked… by a kid?" said Qrow.

"He wasn't just a kid!"

The whole group was taken back by the outburst. Ironwood, while very proud, was usually very composed. Maybe it was because that pride was hurt as much as his body, but the offputting, almost eerie feeling coming off of him was becoming more and more noticeable.

"Easy, James," said Glenda. "Please, what do you mean?"

"He… he wasn't normal," the general said, calming down slightly. "It was like talking to a machine. There was no emotion, no fear, no anger, no remorse. And then there were the…"

"The what?" asked Qrow, but there was no reply.

"James," said Glenda, "is there anything else you want to tell us?"

That's when Qrow saw it again, the flash Ironwood's eye, only now it seemed far more real. It almost looked like a color, like some sort of deep violet, but it only lasted the smallest fraction of a second. In that moment, Qrow knew there was something the general was keeping from them.

"Only that we now have a powerful new enemy," he finally said. "A lot of data was destroyed in the attack. Now, we don't even have a damn picture. All I can say is this: if you see a boy with black hair and violet eyes, take him down."

-x-

"It's called Zeta."

The group looked down at the emerald ring sitting on the table. At first glance, it didn't give much hint at being more than an ordinary gemstone. The ring itself was made of Adamantine, though Aero expected he was the only one who knew, and a faint green light was shining off the crystal.

"So," said Weiss, "this is one of those Shards you were talking about?"

"Yes," he replied in a low tone. There was more he could say, but he was far too distracted by the girl standing next to him.

Ruby, standing with her hood up and her face down, was still recovering from what had happened. Aero himself was far from okay, but he was more concerned with how Ruby was responding. It felt like an eternity before she'd calmed down enough to move and even longer before they managed to shuffle their way back to the house. Aside from some incoherent muttering, the trip had been completely silent.

"Hey, guys," said Ruby, shocking Aero, "I think I'm gonna head to bed. It's been a long day."

With that, the girl slowly stepped toward the staircase. No one stopped her, but Yang followed closely behind. Weiss tried to follow, but Blake put her hand the heiress' shoulder. Everyone was quiet as the sisters made their way up the stairs, the sound of a door closing echoing soon after.

"What did you do?"

Weiss' words hit Aero hard in the chest. She didn't even turn to face him, but the blonde boy could tell she believed Ruby was hurt by something he had done. Weiss didn't seem like the type to show her true emotions, but it was clear she was defending her friend from a perceived threat.

 _You're not wrong, Weiss._

"Will you answer already?!"

"Weiss!" said Blake, staring her down. "Let him speak."

Begrudgingly, the white haired girl sat down, glaring at the boy.

"Please," Blake continued in a soft tone, "what happened?"

"It was…" he replied, stuttering, "it was…"  
"It was what?" said Weiss.

"It was Summer," he said, causing the girls' eyes to shoot open. "We went to… to her gravestone, and she was there. She's the one who had Zeta."

"But where is she now?" asked Weiss, now far less angry.

Aero explained that he honestly didn't know where Summer was or where she had come from. He told the girls what had happened, minus some of the more personal details, and, despite it being the millionth time he'd looked over it, he couldn't explain any of what had happened.

Summer was there. Then she wasn't. That was it.

Once the prince had finished his story, he watched the teammates exchange glances with each other. As he expected, neither knew what to make of the information. To be honest, Aero didn't know either. Summer had disappeared before the shock had ended, leaving no time for whatever emotion he was feeling to come to the surface. The more he thought about it though, he could feel a small chill growing in his chest.

"Ruby," Weiss said in a whisper, distracting Aero from his thought. Before he could say anything, the white haired girl had stood up and ran up the stairs, leaving Blake and Aero alone.

"You really don't know what happened?" she asked.

"I wish I did," he said. "The Shards aren't exactly known for being predictable. I still don't know why _I'm_ here, let alone why Summer showed up when she did, both now and before. For her sake, I wish I knew."

He looked up toward the staircase, some barely audible muttering coming from the top.

"But I'm going to find out."

"How?"

Aero was a bit shocked by the tough tone in Blake's voice. Granted, he didn't really know her, but she seemed like the quiet type, almost like Jen. Still, thinking about his childhood friend, it made sense how the quiet ones could also be some of the strongest.

"I… well, I'm not entirely sure. I just know…"

"Aero," she said, "stop."

"Um," he said, a little shocked, "what?"

"I can see it," she said. "You're riled up right now, especially after seeing Ruby's reaction. You're trying to keep calm, but we both know that calm is the one thing you aren't."

In all honesty, Aero was dumbfounded. Out of nowhere, a person he'd known for barely a week was reading him like an open book. A part of him, that cold chill in his chest, was growing more and more irritated by the girl's words. Unfortunately, they were right.

"How can you tell?" he said, letting a bit of his annoyance come through.

"I've been there before," she said, not looking him in the eye.

"You've seen someone you care about fade out of your sight, not knowing where they'll end up?" he said, a tad more anger showing.

"Actually, yes."

The sensation in Aero's chest fell flat when he heard her. The anger was gone, but the chill was still there, now feeling like a weight holding him down. He reached up to grab Beta, hoping for relief. He almost considered grabbing Zeta, knowing what it's effect would be, but he felt ashamed, like using it would be running away.

"Blake," he said, his voice quieter, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound angry. I guess I really am on edge right now."

"Which is why I brought it up," she said, a small smile now on her face. "I don't know you, not yet, but I can tell you want your answers, but you also want to run away."

 _ **Can every girl in this time read minds?**_

"So," she continued, "take my advice: stay still, just for a little bit. Give it time and don't let this get the better of you, for everyone's sake."

Aero thought about the girl's words for a moment before sighing.

"You know," he said, "you sound like someone who's lost a lot."

"Yeah," she said. "Some of it was taken, some of it was sacrificed. Sometimes it's the closest people that hurt you the most."

"I know the feeling," he said, thinking about Rize. "I hits you out of nowhere."

"Everytime."

"I suppose we get stronger from it though," he said, picking up Zeta, feeling the weightless sensation sweep over him. It wasn't that he was used to it, but he had enough practice to not freak out like he had the first time. Zek never let him live _that_ particular incident down.

"I think you'd make a good advisor," Aero said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "If we were in my home, I'd hire you in an instant."

"Well, my prince," she said jokingly, "I expect to be paid double my weight in tuna fish."

"Uh," he said, "why would I pay you in fish?"

"Oh… uh. Gold," she quickly said, looking flushed. "I meant gold."

 _ **Uhh…**_

"Well," she said while standing up, "I"m gonna go check on the others." She made it a few steps before turning around. "Feel free to come up if you want."

"I'll think about it."

With that, the black haired girl left the boy completely alone, leaving him to look at the ring in his hand and wondered if things were ever going to start making sense.

-x-

Oobleck downed another swig from his thermos, trying to fight off his sleepiness. Feeling tired was something he rarely experienced, having naturally high energy mixed with an insane amount of caffeine, but even he needed rest every once and awhile. Unfortunately for his tired eyes, there was still plenty of searching to be done.

He closed another book and placed it on one of the towering stacks on his desk. It had taken him the greater part of two days to make a dent in the various mountains scattered before him. Though he hated to do it, he laid his head down for a moment, trying to let the information head obtained, or the lack thereof, sink in.

 _I haven't studied this hard since college_ , he thought to himself, remembering the word "Doctor" attached to his name. _Worth it._

The doctor hoped his current study would yield just as satisfying results as his previous ones had. He was desperately searching for leads about Totum, searching through every book he could get his hands on. Understandably, there wasn't the most extensive list of works that mentioned it directly, save a few paragraphs here and there, but nothing substantial. After a few moments of rest, he picked up his next source, an older book simply titled _The Kingdoms of Remnant_.

While picking it up, Oobleck smiled fondly at the cover. It was certainly an old book, having been written before Atlas succeeded Mantle in power, but it was one every historian was well acquainted with. The cover showed the symbols of each kingdom, with the Vytal symbol stamped between them all. It was looking at this symbol that caused something to click in the back of the green haired man's mind.

 _Wait. Could it be?_

He quickly turned to the page he wanted, "Symbols," and skimmed down the page. By the bottom, a smile was plastered on the professor's face.

 _Finally_ , he thought. _A lead._


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! Happy 2016! The new year's off to a good start, what with me actually meeting a deadline for once, I hope it's going well for all of you too. Also, I hope you're all as excited for the new tone of RWBY as I am. I can understand why some people don't like the grittier stuff, but I'm so excited to see just where everything is headed. Hopefully one of the things it's headed towards is Yang breaking Mercury's legs again :) As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your questions and thoughts on the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

 _ **Where are they?**_

Dunden's mind was continually plagued by that one question. He looked down at Psi and tried to piece together why Omega itself had been shattered. Rize's coup was simple enough, to just defeat their father and distract the others. There was certainly enough distrust to make the shift successful and, with any luck, it was possible no one would get too hurt.

 _ **Then what happened?**_

The only answer the boy could think of was Aero. Summer's arrival proved the Alpha's power was far greater than originally thought and only the twins had ever made something so incredible happen. If his brother intervened, there was no telling how plans had changed.

Before he could continue his thoughts, Dunden heard the door open behind him. He rose up out of the makeshift bed they'd prepared for him and turned to see Emerald standing in the doorway, looking displeased.

"We're having a meeting," she said, her voice rough. "Cinder wants you to be a part of it."

"I suppose it would be rude to keep her waiting," Dunden said. He walked towards the door, only for the green haired girl to stop in front of him, arms crossed.

"I thought we had someplace to be," he continued.

"We do," she said, staring him down, "but let me make one thing clear: I. Don't. Trust you. If you make one move out of line, I will personally take you out and take your little crystal for myself."

"I'd like to see you try," the boy said while walking past her. He took a few more steps before hearing her retort.

"You'll never see me coming."

Against his better judgement, Dunden continued to walk in front of the girl, knowing he'd just made an enemy. He could tell from her words that Psi had left some lingering effects on her, which he hoped were temporary. Though he couldn't see her, he made sure take note of any shifting aura around him, just in case she tried anything.

It wasn't much longer before they reached their destination, a large room with a long, rectangular table in the middle. Cinder was standing at the end while the others covered the sides, all looking at a glowing blue map of Remnant that seemed to rise from the table's surface. Dunden was still amazed by the technology around him, but was more interested in why he'd been summoned.

"Ah," said Cinder, noticing them, "you've arrived. I take it you had a nice rest."

"I did," he politely replied. "I'd like to thank you again for the room. The privacy was nice."

Out of the corner of his eye, Dunden saw Roman whisper something into Mercury's ear while nodding his head toward Cinder, causing the two to smile like idiots and turn his direction. He knew he was likely the victim of a joke, but he didn't waste the time to imagine the details.

"Now that you're both here," said the pyromancer, "we can begin. Adam."

The faunus replied by pressing a button on the table's edge. The image on the table changed a moment later, now showing a map littered with yellow dots across the continent. Apparently, Dunden had stumbled upon a much larger operation than he'd initially thought, not that he was disappointed.

"These are our focus points," said Adam, "both active and planned. We've preemptively moved small numbers of troops to several key locations around the kingdoms, though they're far enough away from the cities to avoid detection."

"Troops?" said Dunden. "You're preparing for war?"

"A sort of war, yes," said a smiling Cinder, "but not just on the battlefield." She turned back to the map, opting not to give the prince any greater details.

"With Roman now free," the faunus continued, "we can begin moving greater numbers into Vale. There's been a recent recruitment spike, but with no place to really call a base."

"Fortunately for your little friends," chimed Roman, "it won't take long for me to get my hands on some premium turf. Give me a day or two, and I'll get you all the perfect little barn to sleep in."

Adam growled at the crimelord, with some other more realistic growls coming from members walking by. Dunden noticed the tense atmosphere, but a glare from Cinder made both of them back down. It was almost funny to see the power she had over the others, but the humor was soured a bit by the conflict itself: human vs. fanus.

 _ **It seems some things never change.**_

"How close are they to Vale?" asked Cinder, refocusing the group. In response, Adam tapped one of the dots, causing the whole image to zoom in. Now, instead of just a map, several pictures were hovering as well, showing both several White Fang members and what looked like ruins; however, something seemed off. Upon looking closer, Dunden had to fight to keep his eyes from widening in shock.

"Our closest outpost is at the edge of the Emerald Forest," Adam continued. "It's far enough away that no one will detect it. Even if someone came snooping, the cave systems provide excellent cover. This is where you'll be dropped off, Roman. They'll move you into the city from there."

"What do you want to do, Dunden?" asked Cinder, surprising the boy.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the closest position to where the person you want to find is…"

 _ **One of several.**_

"...and it wouldn't be hard to arrange transport."

Dunden thought about it for a moment. Just a minute earlier, and he would have said yes in an instant, but new information was casting doubt on what he should do. His violet eyes glanced once more at the photos in front of him, just to make sure the image was really there.

"No," he said, while Cinder looked at him questioningly. "There are some things I need to prepare for before meeting him. Besides, staying here may be my best chance to be rid of Roman's… company."

"You're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself," the orange haired man retorted.

"Very well," said Cinder. "Adam, prepare the ship. Roman leaves for Vale tonight."

-x-

Do androids dream of electric sheep? Penny certainly wished that was the case. Fluffy white clouds with legs would be preferable to purple skinned monsters any day.

The freckled robot rose from her seat and looked out over the cityscape. Her room on General Ironwood's ship provided an excellent view of Atlas below them, which Penny was more than thankful for. She recalled that her first room was the laboratory she was born in, a metal encased room with no windows to be found. Fortunately for her, she'd been permitted a new, more open place to rest, complete with boy band posters, pink sheets, and everything else she believed a girl could ask for.

Unfortunately, rest was something she wasn't getting.

After soaking in the view, Penny laid back on her bed/charging station and tried once more to put her mind at peace. Whereas most girls needed food and sleep to get energy back, all the gynoid required was to lay on her dust-charged platform and enter sleep mode, absorbing all the energy she needed. She closed her eyes and watched her vision turn black.

A few moments later, glowing green lines of ones and zeros entered her vision. Most would think it was strange to have binary dreams, but Penny enjoyed watching the codes fly by as her mind processed all the information it could, like watching her dreams as they formed. Before she knew it, the whole world was filled with glowing numerals, followed by what looked like Beacon shimmering into existence.

Penny took a few steps forward down the path leading to the school. It looked like the height of the day, but there was no one around. She looked ahead to the main gates and saw Ruby standing there, her back turned. Against the voice telling her she had seen this dream before, the orange haired girl ran toward her friend.

"Ruby," Penny shouted, trying to get her attention. She was so overjoyed to see her friend that she didn't even notice the figure behind her until she got closer.

"Ruby," she said again, hesitantly. She reached out her hand and put it on the hooded girl's shoulder.

"Oh, Penny," Ruby replied with a smile. "It's so good to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too," Penny replied, "but where is everyone?"

"Penny," she replied, "this is Aero."

The ginger was confused by her friend's words. She hadn't answered her question at all. Looking up, she saw that it was indeed the blonde haired boy standing there, a smile on his face. Penny waved at him, but remained still and silent.

"Ruby," she said, turning back to her friend, "something is wr… Ruby?"

The silver eyed girl was no longer there. In fact, Beacon was no longer there. Instead of the school grounds, Penny found herself in the canyon she had fought in a few days prior, shocking her. To make matters worse, Aero wasn't there either. His spot was still filled, but now by the black haired boy she'd fought.

"What…" she said fearfully, "what's going on? Where's Ruby?"

The boy said nothing as he raised the purple crystal in his hand, causing it to glow slightly. All the fear in Penny's body began to surface as she stepped away, ready to fight if necessary. She was about to take out her swords, but the sharp pain in her neck kept her from doing so. With wide eyes, she looked down to see the monster's sharp teeth clamping down.

"Ahh!" she screamed, waking herself from her dream. It was nighttime at that point, so Penny quickly turned on the lights, fearfully looking around her room. She was alone, but the creeping feeling inside her was telling her she wasn't. Without thinking, she grabbed her scroll and called the person she was the most afraid for, hoping she'd pick up.

'Come on," she said to herself. "Please pick up."

"Uhh," came a tired sounding voice. "Penny?"

"Ruby," she said, relief flowing over her. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," Ruby replied. "It's almost midnight, Penny. Is something wrong?"

"N… no," she responded. "I don't think so. It was just a bad dream. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"No, no," said her friend in a yawning voice. "I was actually awake. I haven't been sleeping very well the last few days."

"Really," Penny said, her voice filled with concern. "Why?"

"It's… a long story. Aero and I went out to the forest and we thought we saw… well, we saw my mom."

The two talked for a few more minutes while Ruby explained what had happened. Apparently, Aero knew Ruby's mom from somewhere, but she didn't explain much more than that. She said it was Aero's secret, and Penny could respect that, despite the cold she felt when thinking about the boy. He looked so much like the boy she fought, it was terrifying.

"Hey, Ruby," she said, "about Aero, has he been acting weird or anything?"

"He's been spending a lot of time in forest recently. He's been fighting a lot of Grimm and not coming back until late. Also…," she said, her voice sounding sad, "he hasn't been talking to me much, or anyone really, but that's about it. Why do you ask?"

"Oh," she said, "no reason. I was just curious."

"Okay then. Is there anything I can do to help you with your nightmares?"

 _I don't know._

"Just talking to someone is help enough," she replied happily. "Thank you."

"Anytime, friend," Ruby said, causing Penny to smile. "Don't be afraid to call if you need anything else. We should meet up if you're ever in Vale."

 _Vale…_

The mention of the city gave Penny an idea. She knew it meant breaking a lot of rules, but she knew Ruby would appreciate the information she had.

"Ruby," she said in a serious tone, "I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?"

 _Don't trust Aero._

"Roman Torchwick escaped," Penny said. "We think he's going back to Vale."

-x-

 _ **Twenty one… two… three… four…**_

Another batch of Beowolves made their way towards Aero, their growls showing their killing intent. Under normal circumstances, Beta would have kept these younger ones away, but Aero was willing the Shard to let the Grimm near. After all, Acrose would never forgive him if he slacked off on his training.

A blast of silver energy sent two more Grimm flying while one tried to attack from behind. Aero leapt into the air with a burst from his feet, barely dodging the beast's claw. Feeling the incoming wall he was about to hit, the Totomian decided to unsheath his blades and brought them down on the monster's neck, killing it instantly. He followed by back stepping and spinning his blades toward the last Beowolf, filling them with his aura.

 _ **Take this!**_

The attack cut the monster to pieces while the blastwave threw them into the forest. No other opponents remained, but the adrenaline filled boy kept searching for more. He was so focused on the treeline, he didn't even notice the small spark jump between his blades.

"Hey," came a voice from behind him. Aero spun around, still on edge from the fight. It took him a moment to lower his guard before Yang could speak again.

"Geez, dude," she said, her hands up. "Calm down. I'm, probably, not gonna attack you."

"Oh, sorry," he said, putting down his weapons. "I was just focused."

"I could tell," the blonde girl replied. "You didn't even start using your swords until you looked like you were gonna collapse. You still do by the way."

"I was trying to just use my aura for as long as possible," he said. "Apparently, I'm good on my own for about about twenty six Grimm. I thought I had a little more in me. How long were you watching?"

"Since around #12," she replied. "You're definitely stronger than you look."

"And how do I look?"

"Depends who you're asking," she said with a smirk, "but I'd say you mostly look like someone who hasn't slept in two days."

It was true, Aero was spending as much time away from his makeshift bed as possible. Ever since what happened on the cliff, he'd thrown himself into training his aura, trying to find someway to make Beta bring her back. He had no idea how he would do it, but pushing himself was the only idea he could come up with.

"I'm alright," he said, knowing full well she wouldn't believe him.

"Well, Mr. Alright, if you're tired of taking on Level 1 monsters in the woods, I think I know a better challenge for you."

"What kind of challenge?"

"A friend of ours called Ruby last night," she said. "You know how Ironwood's ship was attacked?"

"Yeah," he replied, thinking back. "It was something about a weapons malfunction, right?"

"Apparently not," Yang responded, sounding serious. "Someone broke into the ship and helped Roman Torchwick escape. He's a criminal we helped lock away during the Breach. We think he's coming back home."

"Sounds like a job for the police," said Aero, turning back to the forest. He made it a few steps before Yang stepped in front of him.

"The police aren't gonna help," she said. "Ironwood isn't letting anyone know Torchwick got out, something about it being classified. Our plan is to look for him tonight and put him back where he belongs."

"That sounds like fun, Yang," Aero said, "but I have work to do myself." He walked around her, seeing a few more Beo's along the treeline. He charged up his aura once more, ready to take them on.

"Ruby wants you to come with us," said Yang, causing the boy to stop. "She's worried about you. She thinks focusing on something else for a while could be good."

The prince thought about it for a moment, weighing his options.

"You're gonna drag me back if I say no, aren't you?"

"I just might," she said with a teasing edge to her voice.

"Fine," he finally said. "For Ruby."

Yang just smiled widely and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't worry, by the way," she said. "I'll take care of these guys."

Aero watched as Yang starting walking towards the Grimm slowly entering the clearing. The next few moments were filled with howling and shotgun blasts, leaving Aero with wide eyes.

"How was that?" she asked. "Ember and I kick butt, don't we?"

"If you mean you're gauntlets, then yes," he said, "but Crescent Rose is still cooler, followed closely by Dayyani here."

"That's a weird name."

"They're weird swords," he said. "Come on. If we're heading out tonight, I'm gonna need all the rest I can get."


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys! Sorry that I'm a little late, but school just started and work and stuff and all those other excuses. It definitely wasn't just me procrastinating and watching One Punch Man for the second time instead of writing or anything. That would be unprofessional of me. Anyway, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your thoughts and questions about the story. Enjoy the next chapter!**

"It's so good to be home," Roman said, looking at the city lights from the edge of the forest. "The place hasn't changed a bit."

The crime lord wasn't entirely wrong. It was true every back alley and cesspool were in their rightful spots, but most of the city had gone quiet since his capture. With the White Fang leaving the area and his own empire being temporarily disbanded, the police were having a pretty easy time.

All that was about to change.

"I'll have to stop by that shop in the square soon, though. These old drabs aren't exactly cutting it. What do say, Neo?"

The heterochromic girl just looked at him in response.

"Nothing huh? That seems about right." He lit up a cigar and turned around to face the small crowd.

"Alright," he said, addressing the White Fang members behind him, "listen up. I know most of you haven't had the pleasure of being in my city before. Luckily for us, a few here actually know their way around. Group 1 will be heading up to an old warehouse where a weapons cache or two should still be hidden. Just try not to break anything, okay."

The only rhino in the group snarled at Roman, not being very happy about getting orders from a human, but the orange haired man just brushed it off.

"Group 2 will be coming with Neo and I to one of my favorite clubs in the city, or at least it was. Note to self: never buy dollar store thugs," he said in a grumbling voice. "Any questions?"

"Umm," said the eagle in the back, raising his hand, "I have a…"

"Good," Roman said, cutting him off. "Now, let's get started."

-x-

If Aero was impressed by Vale in the daylight, the view at night left him in awe. The lights seemed to be streaming from every windowsill while people busied along, enjoying the nightlife. Totum was only this bright after sunset for festivals, so the boy was naturally excited when he learned it was like that every night.

"Yep," said Yang, "this city never sleeps. In fact, we're going to a dance tonight."

"A dance?" he asked, walking along. "Like, with partners and everything?"

He very quickly glanced at Ruby, who had been quiet since they made their way to the city. It felt strangely difficult for him to be around her since what happened at the cliff side, but it wasn't exactly awkward. Instead, the cold pang in his chest grew whenever he looked at her, the buried guilt slowly rising up.

Still, on a far less grim sounding topic, he mentally slapped himself at the thought of dancing with her.

 _Why am I thinking about that!?_

"Kinda, sorta," said Yang. "It's more like a bunch of people jumping up and down in the middle of a room."

"Doesn't sound that far off from dancing to me," he said.

"I guess it just depends on who you're asking," Yang replied. "I'm sure Weiss and Blake will have something to say about it once we meet up again."

"Do you think they'll be alright?" asked Aero, noticing they were moving farther and farther from the busier, more lit streets.

"They'll be fine," the brawler said. "They can handle themselves, unlike Ruby on the dancefloor."

"Hey!" said Ruby, earning a laugh from her sister.

"I'm not wrong," said Yang, "and fyi, you sounded like Weiss there."

"You don't dance, Ruby?" asked Aero.

"Well," said the girl, her cheeks a bit red, "it's just not something I like to do."

"If you can use a scythe," he said, "you can dance."

"What do you mean?"

In response, Aero did something he was very glad no one else was around to see. He quickly picked up his pace on the sidewalk, throwing one arm forward as he did. In his mind, he saw his hand gripping at a hilt, but that was just to get the motion started. He spun to right on his heel, arced both hands in wheels around his body, and followed with a flurry of motion that ended with staring at the girls from a bowing position.

"Phew," whistled Yang, "someone has some fancy feet."

"You should see Selena in action," the boy responded with a smile. "The point is, fighting and dancing are hardly different. One is a bit more deadly, but that's just a minor detail."

"You sound like Ozpin," said Ruby.

"Ozpin had the right idea then."

The two looked at each other for a moment, the smile on Ruby's face making the cold feeling in his chest disappear. He couldn't really explain it, but it felt right.

That is, until a loud, blaring sound came from his right. Both Ruby and Yang reached forward and pulled him back onto the sidewalk. A car drove by a moment later, the driver rolling down his window and raising one of his fingers for some reason.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Well, you did just dance your way into an intersection," said Yang. "Try to avoid that. Anyway, we're almost there."

The blonde brawler pointed down the street to a building with multi-colored lights flashing in the windows.

"You kids may want to stay outside," she continued. "I shouldn't be too long."

"You're not gonna blow the place up again, are you?" Ruby said while crossing her arms and glaring. Aero wasn't sure what she meant, but wasn't sure he really wanted to learn.

"No way," said Yang, not making eye contact, earning another glare. "Well, maybe just a little."

-x-

Though Weiss was more than happy to be doing something productive, sitting on top of a rooftop doing nothing wasn't exactly entertaining. They had spent the last half hour watching some old, abandoned warehouse with the hope that the White Fang would be in the area. Eventually, she rolled over onto her back, confident that Blake's watchful eye was more than enough.

"How did we get stuck with this job again?" said Weiss.

"Yang said the person she talked to last semester may have some info we need," Blake responded. "In the meantime, I thought it'd be good to check up on this spot. No one has reported anyone in a White Fang uniform since the Breach, but that doesn't mean recruitment has stopped. This used to be a popular spot."

"Emphasis on "used to be." There is no one here."

"I'm here," Blake said jokingly.

"You've been hanging around Sun and Yang too much. You almost have a sense of humor."

"I could say the same to you, though I doubt Ruby appreciates it."

"You know it's fun to tease her," Weiss replied. "I bet you even think they look cute together."

"What I think is that you're enjoying messing with her a bit too much." Blake turned her attention back to the warehouse. "But yes."

The heiress smiled as she spotted the grin growing on her teammates face. Yang may still be close to the fence on Aero as a whole, but it was obvious each of them were warming up to him. This made her feel a bit guilty about accusing him of hurting Ruby a few days earlier. She'd apologized, but still felt a little down inside.

To cheer herself up, the white haired girl decided to do a little teasing on the side.

"So," she said, "have you kept in touch with Sun?"

An evil smile crept onto Weiss' cheeks as she saw her faunus teammate's cheeks start glowing.

"Well, um," Blake said, obviously trying to stay calm, "yeah. We… we talk."

"Oh yeah," she said. "Do you send pictures to each other?"

"I don't know what you mean," the faunus responded, not looking at Weiss. "What… what pictures would we… would we even…"

"You know," said Weiss, enjoying her reaction far too much "pics of his…"

"His what?"

Weiss leaned in close and whispered…

"His abs."

Weiss could practically feel the heat coming off of Blake as her entire face turned a deep shade of red. The fencer was about to comment further, but a buzzing sound from Blake's pocket suddenly sounded. The moment the black haired girl took the scroll from her pocket, Weiss took it as fast as she could. Despite the flailing arms trying to get it back, the heiress hit the "Open Picture Message" button.

"Let's just see what…" she said, her eyes widening and cheeks reddening as she tried to find the words. "Oh my… you mean… you mean he really does send…"

"IT'S NOTHING!"

Blake finally reached her scroll, hit the delete button, and erased all evidence of a certain monkey faunus' six pack from her phone. The girl's sat in silence for a moment, unable to think of anything to break the awkward atmosphere. If she wasn't so shocked that she'd been right, Weiss would have had the brain capacity to hope something would happen soon.

"Did you hear that?" came a deep voice from beneath them. Both girls quickly ducked behind the edge of the building, listening to the voice.

"I didn't hear anything," said another voice. "It must've been the wind. Just keep moving."

Weiss and Blake slowly peeked over the edge and into the windows of the building. Several people in White Fang uniforms had made their way inside while they were… distracted. It looked like they were unloading some cargo containers, but it was hard to see what was inside. Judging by the glow being put off though, they knew it was likely Dust.

"I can't believe it," said Blake.

"Me neither," said Weiss. "How many crunches does he do?"

"A time and a place, Weiss," said Blake, her cheeks red with embarrassment and anger. "Seriously though, I can't believe our luck."

"I'd probably say contrivance instead of luck," came a whispering male voice from behind them, "but whatever. Same difference."

The girls turned around to see the silhouette of two black wings almost blending into the night sky. His White Fang uniform let them know he was an enemy, but it was the Nevermore mask that really put them on edge. Acting on instinct, the huntresses-in-training grabbed their weapons and attacked.

-x-

"She's been in there for a while," said Aero. He and Ruby had been standing outside the establishment for several minutes, waiting for Yang to return. Apparently, the older sister thought they were "too young" to go in, something Aero thought was almost funny, given his situation.

"She'll be fine," Ruby responded.

"How can you tell?"

"Well," she said, leaning back against the wall, "I haven't heard any explosions yet, so that's probably a good sign."

"Yeah," he said, "probably."

The two stood there in silence, the awkwardness slowly growing. To try and distract himself, Aero reached into his pocket to make sure Zeta was still were he put it. The weightless sensation tried to overtake him, but he willed the feeling to return to the Shard. It still amazed him how Zek walked around like that without motion sickness, something the prince may or may not have gotten when he tried on the ring for the first time.

"So," said Ruby, "I was just wondering something."

"Yeah?"

"It's about, well…"

The hooded girl didn't finish her thought. Instead, her eyes grew wide as she looked down the quiet stretch of road. Aero tried turning to see what she was looking at, but instead felt her shove him towards the door, desperate to get inside.

"Ruby!" he said "What are you…"

"Just get inside!" she said in a forceful whisper. The boy did as he was told and made his way into the building. Once inside, he heard… well he wasn't sure what it was. It was some sort of wild, ringing, high pitch noises.

"Is this music?" he asked.

"Yes," said Ruby, obviously still to move faster.

"Huh," he said. "Not bad."

The two quickly made their way into a large room filled with bright, glowing lights and a few men in black coats walking around. Yang was sitting at what looked like a bar, talking to a grown man in a tie. The blonde girl looked intent on something, and the man looked very nervous about being the victim of her glare.

"Just tell me what you know," Yang said, gripping her glass tightly.

"I told you," the man responded. "I have no idea if Roman is… hey, who are you?"

"Huh?" Yang said, turning around to see Aero and Ruby standing there. "What are you…"

"We gotta hide," said Ruby. To everyone's shock, the silver eyed girl jumped over the counter and hid below it. In an even more surprising move, Yang quickly followed her younger sister, knocking over her glass as she did so.

"Come on!" said Ruby, motioning for Aero to join them. The boy had no idea what was going on, but decided to walk around instead of jumping over the counter like a crazy person.

"What's going on?" asked Yang.

"Get out from there or I'll… uhh." The man didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he'd taken the sound of a shotgun shell loading as a sign to be quiet.

"Not. One. Move."

"Y-Yes, ma'am," he said in a scared tone.

"We've gotta stay hidden," whispered Ruby. "Roman's gonna be here any…"

"Hellllloooo, Junior!"

Though they couldn't see him, the trio knew another person had entered the club. Aero assumed the voice to belong to Roman Torchwick, though the footsteps made it seem like there were others with him.

"R-Roman," said the man, apparently named Junior. "I didn't know you'd be dropping by, what with the whole… you know."

"You mean prison?" said Roman, who sounded like he'd just sat down. "Come on. When has that ever stopped me from coming back."

"Well, I just assumed Ironwood would give you a bit more trouble."

"Oh, he did, but some friends of mine helped me out."

"You mean these White Fang guys?" Aero could see the expressions on the girl's faces tighten, waiting for information they could use.

"None of your concern," Roman said, much to the sisters' disappointment. "Anyway, let me get right to it. I realize things have probably gotten a little out of control since I left."

"Actually, I've never seen the city so peaceful," said Junior.

"I meant out of _my_ control," he responded. "That needs to change. I need to get some messages through to some old contacts of mine, but I need it handled… discretely."

"Why not just handle it yourself?" asked the club owner, still painfully aware of the situation he was in.

"I'm trying to lay a little low for a while, keep the cops off my back. They don't exactly know that I'm back yet, and I'd like to keep it that way. You, however, I know will keep your mouth shut."

"How…"

Aero heard a thud quickly drop from above them, causing Junior to step back in fear.

"Right," he said in fear. "Message received."

"Good," said Roman, "I'm glad we have an understanding. Why don't we get a few drinks while we flesh out the details."

"Sure thing," Junior responded. The man bent down behind the counter, looking at the hidden trio as he did so. Aero slowly moved to the side as the bartender reached for a glass, all while Yang kept her weapon ready.

Suddenly, the man dove out from behind the counter, desperate to escape. Yang fired a shot that barely missed him as he moved, causing an explosion that destroyed the cabinet in front of them.

"Move!" shouted Ruby. The blondes quickly followed the hooded girl as she sprinted toward the door, readying their weapons as they did so. Aero looked to his side and saw a group of uniformed faunus, a man with orange hair holding a cane and a short girl with multicolored hair. They all looked shocked at the sudden action, hopefully giving the trio the time they needed to escape.

Unfortunately for the teenagers, the strange looking girl recomposed herself much faster than the others. She dove towards Yang, looking like she was trying to land a kick, but launched a silver burst that knocked the attacker just before impact. An explosion behind him told the orange haired man, who he assumed was Roman, had fired a shot, but he dashed forward just in time to escape the heat.

Up ahead, Ruby fired several rounds toward the White Fang members, causing them to scatter. With a force that probably knocked them out, the hooded girl slammed her scythe into two guards stationed at the door, motioning for he and Yang to follow. Aero glanced back at Roman just in time to see his expression switch from anger to shock before the Yang fired an explosive blast that brought down a portion of the ceiling, blocking the exit behind them.

"We've gotta get to Blake and Weiss," said Yang as they ran.

Aero watched as Ruby folded up her weapon and tried to contact her teammates on her scroll. He didn't see anyone following them, but he knew it wouldn't be long before their enemies found another exit.

"It's no use," Ruby said in frustrated tone. "They aren't picking up. Let's hurry."

The group continued to make their way towards where Weiss and Blake were supposed to be. Knowing Roman didn't want to be seen, they cut through the most populated areas they could, though they did get some weird looks from the civilians. After a few strenuous minutes, they finally reached the area they were heading toward, though they weren't expecting to see the buildings around them looked so damaged.

"What happened here?" asked Ruby.

"If I had to guess," said Yang, picking up an arrow, "I'd say they got spotted."

A moment later, an explosion sounded a few blocks away.

"Sounds about right," said Ruby. "Yang, you keep heading straight. Aero and I will flank around."

"Right," the blondes said in unison, and they took off running, though the prince couldn't help but admire Ruby's tactical thinking.

 _ **It must run in the family.**_

The two made their way around the nearest corner, just getting the glimpse of Weiss as she dashed between two swordsmen, knocking them down as she did so. The white haired girl turned, noticed the two, and pointed toward the next street.

"Come on!" said Weiss. "Blake and I got separated. Follow me."

"What's going on?" Ruby asked.

"We got spotted on the roof and before we knew it we had a over a dozen White Fang thugs attacking us. We managed to get away, but the eagle and rhino are making it pretty difficult."

"Eagle and rhino?" asked Ruby.

The two followed the fencer, all of them visibly tired, but the adrenaline just kept pushing them forward. It didn't take long before they saw the faunus Weiss was talking about. A man, at least 7ft tall with a small horn on his head, was charging at Blake and Yang, whose hair was a glowing like fire. Several members ran out of the way as the giant and the brawler collided. Aero almost closed his eyes, thinking the girl would be crushed, but way the horned faunus ended up getting launched into the side a building proved the boy's theory wrong.

"Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted, though the boy had no idea what that meant. He watched as Weiss covered the area around them in ice while Yang leaped into the air. Ruby quickly grabbed the boy's hand, almost stopping him in his tracks.

"Trust me," she said with a determined expression, though her cheeks were glowing. Aero didn't have time to respond before the whole street was covered in mist. The pull on his hand led him forward and they were out of it a moment later.

"Smokescreen," the boy said, still being pulled. "Clever."

"Thanks," she said. He quickly felt her hand leave his a moment later, followed by the sound of laughter coming from beside them.

"I was showing him where to go!" Ruby shouted.

"Suuuuurrrreeee," said the heiress.

"Above us!" shouted Blake. The all looked back to see a pair of black wings appear out of the fogbank. He was flying erratically, probably from the impeding mist, and wearing a Nevermore mask, probably making flying even more difficult. Yang fired a shot at the eagle, the explosion knocking him to the side, and he began to fall quickly towards them, the quiver of arrows on his back and bow in his hand becoming more and more visible as he approached.

 _ **Wait. Is that…**_

The boy was so wrapped up in his thought that he didn't notice the faunus was heading straight towards him. It wasn't a moment later that he felt the impact of of the falling boy crash into him and causing him to fly backwards down the road. He looked up a few seconds later and, with dizzy eyes, saw that the Grimm masked had been knocked off, revealing a pair of emerald green eyes.

"Zek?!"

"Aero!" said the eagle faunus, standing up, pulling Aero up with him as he did. "I can't believe it. I mean, I was in the city, and then a forest, and then a cabin, and then a cave, and that girl looks like Summer, and I am freaking out right now!"

"Zek!" Aero said again. **"What is going on right now?!"**

 **"Right now?"** he said, looking back at the clearing mist as a few White Fang members headed their way. **"Right. Probably should have started with that. Here's the thing..."**

Aero watched as his best friend readied his bow and pointed an arrow right at the prince's chest.

" **I may have accidentally joined a terrorist organization."**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys! Sorry for the lateness and relative shortness of this chapter. I haven't had much time to write as I've been in Teacher Observation classes for the last few weeks with no time for my computer. If you go to Joplin High School, you may have seen me in the back, but I digress. Anyway, you know the drill. Please be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your thought on the story. Enjoy the next chapter.**

 **P.S. I was writing about Grimm dragons and losing arms way before it was cool.**

Rays of sunshine fell on the sleeping blonde's eyes, causing him to stir from his sleep. He raised up out of his sheets and looked with tired eyes out his window to see the sun rising in the distance. It wasn't uncommon for the now teenage boy to beat the sun up in the morning, usually because of his long routine, but this day was special.

 _Two days with training breaks. I'm getting spoiled._

Aero turned to the rest of his room, which, admittedly, was messier than it probably should have been. Scrolls and tomes were spread out everywhere, filled with facts and theories from all around the world. The boy enjoyed learning well enough, but it was royal expectations that threw him into his studies, not a love a reading. His current read, a book on Totomian law, was laid open at the end of his bed, as he'd fallen asleep one chapter in.

 _Maybe I'll sleep for just a bit longer_ , the boy thought, laying his head back on his pillow. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed the previous night, but it certainly drained him. The light, relaxing breeze from the open window only pushed him deeper into his blankets.

"WAKEY-WAKEY!"

Unfortunately for Aero, sleep wasn't happening.

With one eye open, the prince looked up to see a shirtless, eagle faunus cupping his hands around his mouth. The emerald eyed boy was perched on the windowsill, the water on his wings reflecting even more light into Aero's eyes.

"Morning, Zek," said the blonde, his face half buried in his pillow. "You're not here to spray water all over my room again are you."

"It's not my fault that clouds are wet," the eagle responded, "besides, I apologised for that _and_ got your books replaced."

"I'm pretty sure Selena was the one who replaced them."

"But I was the one who asked her to replace them."

Aero just raised an eyebrow at his friend, who finally sighed in submission.

"Fine." Zek jumped out the window, flapping his wings furiously as he fell out of Aero's view. He flew back up a few moments later, this time entering the room entirely. "There. The side of the castle may not be dry, but my wings are."

The prince rose up out of bed as the black haired boy rummaged around his room.

"What are you doing here, Zek?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, picking up the book of laws at the foot of his bed. "Hey, I know you're supposed to become the justicar or something, but do you really need to know _every_ law?"

"That depends," Aero responded, "would you rather Damek keep the position forever?"

"Good point," Zek said with a shiver.

"Anyway, back to the topic at hand: why are you here?"

"Well," the faunus said, looking through some parchment, "I was just doing my morning rounds, picking off some Grimm, enjoying the cold air, when I remembered that one of my best buddies had a romantic rendezvous last night. I figured I'd make sure everything went alright before his next one."

Aero could feel his face turn red as he looked at the smirk on his friends face. He decided to ignore the laughing bird brain and started putting on some older clothes for his visit to the forge. His closet was exactly small, but it was easy enough to find of the few more plain looking garments he owned.

"They did go alright, as a matter of fact," Aero said, his face still red.

"Ahhh," said Zek, "did wittle Aero enjoy his date with Spitfire?"

"I wouldn't be one to tease, Zek," the boy responded with a smirk of his own. "After all, we heard about your little… _accident_ during the dancing."

Zek closed the book he was glancing at and let his head smack into the wall in front of him. His wings drooped down to the floor and Aero could feel the embarrassment radiate off the dejected faunus.

"That was a low blow, brother."

"But it probably wasn't as strong a blow as your wings flinging out and hitting…"

"It was wardrobe malfunction!"

Aero couldn't help but chuckle at the emerald eyed boy's reaction. He hadn't been there for the dance itself, but once he had heard about a nobleman's daughter getting smacked into a wall by someone with wings, it was easy to figure out who was involved.

"We were twirling and it all went wrong," said Zek.

"Was she mad?"

"I accidently launched her into a building."

"How do you _accidently_ launch someone into a building?"

"I do a lot of things on accident. It's something I doubt will ever change."

The prince just smiled and finished dressing himself. Honestly, he was glad Zek had shown up. His "not-a-date" last night was actually a lot of fun, but that didn't make the stress he was feeling at that moment any easier. His best friend making a fool of himself, on the other hand, did.

"That reminds," said Zek, his head and wings perking back up, "I did actually have a good reason for coming here."

"You mean besides interrupting my sleep?"

"Surprisingly, yes," he said with a smile. "I was kinda wondering if maybe you could get my medicine from Jen for me. The pain's been flaring up for a little bit but it might be a little… awkward to get it myself."

"Because of the building launching?"

"Because of the building launching."

Aero sighed and smiled at his downtrodden friend.

"Alright, I'll help you out."

"Awesome," Zek said, launching himself into the air. Aero was a little annoyed by the paper being blown everywhere, but he'd let it slide just this once. "By the way, I was gonna ask about this."

The faunus picked up a piece of parchment with a drawing of a split sword. The design matched the swords used by King Halos, though Aero was a bit embarrassed he hadn't come up with anything original.

"What about it?"

"Why are they split like this? It doesn't really seem practical to have the space between the blades."

"I'm honestly not sure. Father just said it was important when he made his design."

"Are you sure it wasn't just because he thought it looked cool?"

"I doubt a king would make his weapon just because of how it looked." Aero took the picture from Zek's hand and made his way toward the door. He suspected that Jen was probably in the gardens by this hour. He'd stop to check there before making his way into the city.

"Whatever," said Zek, perching himself on the window. "I'll take my bow over a couple of swords anyday."

"Just don't shoot at me."

"Come on, Aero," he said, ready to take to the sky. "Like I'd ever shoot at you."

-x-

Ruby was more than a little confused about what she was seeing. One moment they were running away from a squad of White Fang members, and the next Aero was talking in another language with an eagle who was pointing an arrow at his chest. She was scared for the boy, quite literally in fact; instead of looking afraid, Aero looked like he'd just been told a bad joke. Judging by the smile on the the black haired faunus' face, that may have really been what happened.

The rest of the group was having the same reaction as their leader. They were ready to attack, but were so shocked at the frantic, yet weirdly casual tone the boys were talking in that they didn't move. It wasn't until they noticed the incoming White Fang members that they remembered their situation.

"What are you waiting for!" shouted one of the faunus.

"You asked for it," responded the eagle. The emerald eyed boy looked at Aero and smiled. "I am so sorry."

"We both know you're enjoying this," Aero responded.

Ruby's eyes widened in fear as the eagle's wings rose up behind him. She was so distracted by the motion that she almost didn't notice him release the string of his bow. Even with her speed, she didn't have the time to react as the arrow flew toward the blonde haired boy.

"Aero!" she shouted, trying to push him out of the way. The world seemed to slow as she dashed toward him, but she lost focus when she saw the tip fly by Aero's neck, missing completely.

 _Wait, what?_

Aero pulled his hand out of his pocked a half second later, revealing the glowing green gemstone her mother had left behind. The smirk on his face let her know something was going on, but she was too relieved that Aero was still alive to wonder what it was.

Suddenly, the eagle jumped back into the air and pushed both wings forward in their direction, his eyes lighting up as he did so. Ruby thought they were going to be blown away, but Aero just smiled and pushed both of his glowing hands forward in response. Unlike his usual silver, he had a green aura around him now, matching Zeta.

"Brace yourselves!" Aero shouted.

A massive gust of wind ripped past them, blowing newspapers and soda bottles down the street. Despite the fact that a few cars were even pushed back a few feet, the hooded girl saw that the wind wasn't so much as blowing their hair, even though it looked like they were in the middle of a tornado. Aero let out a shout and the current seemed to reverse entirely, blasting every White Fang member down the street and into the side of a building. The only exception was the eagle, who caught the wind under his wings and was blown over the building's roof.

"Which way to the airship?" asked Aero.

"Uh, what?" said Ruby, still shocked.

"The airship," he responded. "The thing that flew us here from Patch. Where's the station at?"

"It's a few blocks south of here," said Yang, "but what the heck just happened?"

"To be honest," he said with a sigh, "I have no idea, but those grunts may get back up at anytime. It's probably better to save it until we get out of here."

Before anyone could say anything, the blonde boy took off in the direction of the airship station, waving for the girls to follow him. They quickly made it back to the busier streets and merged in with the crowds. They were no longer running, but they didn't make any stops until they paid for their tickets and were on the next airship back to Patch.

"Ok," said Ruby, taking a seat next to Aero, "can we talk about what happened now?"

"Yeah," said Weiss. "How about we start with who the guy who attacked us? You seemed to know him.

"You could say that," the boy said as he rubbed his temples. "He may be one of the most annoying people in the world, but he's also my best friend."

The girls were shocked to hear that Aero was actually on good terms with someone who fired an arrow at him. Still, Ruby couldn't help but think back to how they both reacted at their meeting. They were obviously both excited, both for what seemed like more than one reason.

"Your best friend… is a terrorist?" asked Yang.

"He said it was an accident."

"How…?" started Ruby.

"He said it was, and I quote, "an epic tale of heroism and drama," though I doubt it was as amazing as he says it was."

"How could time travel be anything but amazing?!" said Ruby.

"Let's just say," he said, pinching the brim of his nose, "that showing up in the future and joining a terrorist cell on accident is just slightly above Zek's normal range of weird."

-x-

"So," said a cross armed Taiyang, "how was your trip to the city?"

"It was…fun," said a nervous Ruby.

The young girl walked past her father, followed by the rest of her friends. Blake and Weiss all took seats on the couch while Aero went straight to the kitchen sink and splashed water on his face. The hooded girl and her sister, however, tried to make a beeline for the stairs.

"Hold up!" The sisters froze in their tracks, listening as their father took slow steps toward them.

"Now," he started, "please remind me why you wanted to go to Vale so late at night."

"We were just gonna show Aero around," said Ruby.

"Uh-huh," her father said, "and did anything exciting happening."

"There were a few things," said Yang. Both sisters knew their father didn't exactly approve of them searching for the White Fang, so they may have told a little white lie.

"Like blowing up a club, again?" he said, glaring at Yang. "Or turning a few back alleys into battlefields?"

Ruby noticed that her other teammates made their way into kitchen, trying to escape the tension.

"To be fair," Yang said nervously, "that last one wasn't our fault."

"Then who's was it?"

Ruby would have given anything to distract her father. She knew he loved them dearly, but it scared her how someone scared of his own shadow could be so terrifying when he was mad. Luckily for her, there was a knock at the door.

"Don't move," he said walking toward the door. "Uhh, hello?"

The teens, except Aero, looked towards the doorway to see who had shown up. Standing out on the porch was a tall eagle faunus wearing a White Fang uniform and a quiver of arrows on his back, like some sort of terrorist girl scout.

"Hey," said the boy. "This may sound odd, but I'm pretty sure your daughter shot an explosive at me. I'd like an apology."


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey, guys! So... all of that happened. I'm not sure what to say about the finale other than I have never been more emotionally invested in a show... and I'm suffering for it... in the best possible way. Thanks to everyone at RT for this awesome adventure because I cannot wait for Volume 4. Until then, maybe I can help you all deal with the hiatus with a little dose of RWBY storytelling. As always, favorite, follow, and comment your thoughts and questions. Enjoy the chapter!**

 _How many of the stories are true?_

Ozpin's mind was plagued by that question as he looked at the comatose girl. The scar on Amber's face was a terrible reminder of what people would do for forbidden power, and now a new legend was thrown in front of him. The only thing that worried the professor more than the thought of a new threat was the fact he knew next to nothing about him, something that left him, quite frankly, annoyed.

It was true, the white haired man knew firsthand that some ancient stories were far from mere fables, but they were stories he knew, even if he didn't fully understand them. The thought of an entire empire disappearing, leaving so little trace, was something he didn't understand or accept.

 _There must be something I'm not seeing._

The man looked at the girl, barely being kept alive, and turned to the empty capsule on his right. He knew time was limited, but the thought of ripping the life from someone was, as Glenda had put it, wrong. Still, he knew it was a decision that would have to be made sooner rather than later.

"I am sorry, Amber," he said, "but we won't let your sacrifice be in vain."

A ringing sound filled up the vault a moment later, letting Ozpin know someone was calling his scroll. He looked at the screen and saw he had an incoming call from his scythe wielding comrade.

"Hello," Ozpin said.

"Oz," said Qrow, "have you seen what happened in the city yet?"

"No," he responded, voicing his concern. "What's going on?"

"Apparently, some White Fang members were spotted running out of the city. They got away, but I'm looking at where they were first seen, and the whole place is a mess."

"How bad is it?"

A second window opened up on the man's device, showing a crowd of police and civilians standing in an alley. Shattered glass and pieces of trash were littered up and down the street while scorch marks and craters were easily visible on the asphalt.

"Don't tell me," said Ozpin. "It was your protegee."

"Based on the rose petals down on one end of the block, I'd say it's a fair bet."

"And you weren't watching them because…?"

"Come on Oz," Qrow said after a hiccup, "they're big girls. They can handle themselves."

"Qrow," he said, his voice slightly more intense.

"... it was just one drink."

Ozpin sighed as his friend's excuse. He knew he should be a little more upset with the man for going out drinking instead of watching the teenagers, but he also had to admit that throwing the red-eyed man downtown after sunset was just asking for trouble.

"Was the bartender at least cute?"

"Nope," the man said before another hiccup. "I can't say he was. Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know the thugs were seen moving east. I'd go after 'em, but I figured I'd get your opinion."

"That isn't like you."

"The way I see it, I'm probably in enough trouble as it is."

Ozpin thought about it for a moment before answering.

"No," he finally said. "Leave the White Fang alone for the time being. Right now, you should go find out how our students were involved in all of this."

"Alright, boss man," answered Qrow. "I'll let you know what I find out."

-x-

"Can I take your shocked expression as a yes?" asked Zek.

"Uhh…" said Taiyang, still in shock about seeing the faunus in front of him. Aero thought it was almost funny to see the scene play out, but he knew talking with his friend was more important than seeing the awkward looks on everyone's faces. Besides, a terrorist showing up at a home filled with Huntsmen was bound to end badly.

"It's okay," said Aero. "He's a friend of mine, and no, I didn't know he was with the White Fang. Or that he existed here, really."

"It was an accident."

"Joining the White Fang or existing?" asked Yang.

"Yes," Zek said with a smile.

 _Oh, Zek._

"Hey, Dad?" said Ruby.

Aero was surprised that the silver eyed girl had spoken up. He hadn't explained much to them about who Zek was, but that was more due to the migraine he was feeling than anything else. The swordsman's mind had been constantly racked by questions since his own arrival and the appearance of his loudmouthed friend wasn't making things any easier.

"What is it, Ruby?"

"He's actually the one who saved us," the girl said. "He and Aero did… well, I'm not exactly sure, but they blew the White Fang away. Literally. I think we should hear him out."

"You should listen to Summer's daughter," said the eagle, causing everyone's eyes to widen. "She's got the right idea."

"You… you know Summer?" asked Taiyang.

"Sure do," Zek said in response. "Her and I go waaaaaaay back. I could tell you more, but I feel like I've been standing on this porch for about two weeks. Could I please come in now?"

Hesitantly, the blonde huntsman moved aside and allowed the faunus to enter the house. Zek flashed a smile curled his wingspan as close to his body as possible, barely fitting through the crowded entry hall. He stood in the middle of the living room once he entered and spread his wings in the open space, stretching the rest of his body as he did so.

"So," said Aero, "even though this probably the millionth time this question has been asked already, why are you here?"

"I don't know man," he responded while the others made their way into the room. "I mean, why are any of us here? Are we the product of some..."

"You know what I mean."

"I know, I know," Zek said with a laugh. "Well, for starters, it really wasn't that hard to follow all of you. After all, Little Red is wearing a flowing cape I could see from a couple miles away, not that my vision is doing so well after the previously mentioned explosion."

The faunus turned to Yang and gave a mock glare. It was obvious the faunus was at least partly joking, but Aero knew it probably wasn't good for Zek's health to pick a fight with Yang. Still, he had to admit the idea was a _little_ appealing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Yang in an angry tone.

"It means explosions are bright and booming, Goldilocks," he said. "Bright enough to cause someone to fall out the sky. I was just lucky Aero was there to break my fall. **Thanks for that, by the way**."

 **"No problem."**

"What are you talking about?" shouted Weiss. "You attacked Blake and I up on the roof. It was self-defense!"

"Noooo," he said. "You said you were lucky, I said it was a plot contrivance, and then ninja catgirl over here swung a katana at my throat. I'd say I was the one getting attacked."

"Catgirl?" asked Aero.

"You snuck up behind us!" shouted Blake.

"But I didn't swing a katana at your throat!"

"You were shooting arrows at us!" said Weiss.

"Once the fight started and I had to blend in," the eagle said in response. "Listen, Snow White, if I wanted to shoot an arrow through your chest, there would be an arrow through your chest. Just ask this Aero."

"Can we please stop talking about people getting shot in the chest by arrows?" said the swordsman.

"But that's all anyone's talking about right now! Did you not see the fight?!"

"Hey!" shouted Ruby, getting the entire room to settle down. "It sounds to me like there was a big misunderstanding. Why don't we all just calm down and talk this out."

Aero was honestly impressed by Ruby for taking control of the situation. Everyone, though obviously begrudgingly, sat down before speaking up again. The Totomians took their seats across from the girls, who were staring angrily at the emerald eyed boy. Even Taiyang seemed phased by his daughter's shout and sat by the rest of them.

"That's better," said the hooded girl, standing between the teens. "Now, Zek, did you attack us on purpose?"

"I did not," he said, placing one hand on his heart and the other in the air. "I was trying find a way out of that whole mess while still making it look like I was with the White Fang. You know, in case things went even more crazy, which they usually do. It's nice to have a fallback."

"Are you with the White Fang?" she asked.

"Despite my fashion sense, no. The short and sweet version is this: I woke up covered in snow somewhere up in Atlas over a week ago. My right wing was injured, but an old faunus couple found me and helped treat my injuries. They were kind to me, so I stayed with them for a few days to heal."

Everyone was listening intently, but Aero was paying the most attention. Hearing Zek's story was his best chance at finding out more about how they both came to the future in the first place. Hopefully, it might even give them a clue on how to find Summer.

"Eventually," he continued, "they told me about a group they were a part of an organization who faunus could turn to for safety. I took them up on their offer, though they conveniently left out the "Let's destroy humanity" part of their sales pitch."

"That sounds about right," Blake muttered under her breath.

"Something tells me you've had a few run-ins with the ol' Fang yourself, Beauty. Am I right?"

The prince looked questioningly at his friend, unsure of what he just heard. He turned to see everyone looking expectantly at Blake, whose head was stopped low. A silence hung in the air for a few moments before she spoke up.

"Yes," she finally said, shocking Aero, "and don't call me that."

"Would you prefer Belle?" Zek said with a smirk.

"Wait," said Taiyang, "what's this about, Blake?"

"Well…" said Blake.

"Blake was… um…" said Yang.

"She…" said Weiss.

"Can we please talk about this later?" said Ruby.

"She's probably right," said Zek. "We've been jumping around too much. It's bad for the narrative."

"What did you say?" asked Weiss.

"Just ignore him," Aero responded. "He says weird stuff like that all the time, but we do need to reign this in."

The prince took Zeta out of his pocket and raised it up in the light. Zek's eyes focused intently on the Shard, his emerald irises a perfect match for the emerald's shine. Aero tossed the stone towards his friend, feeling the weightlessness leave his body, and could see the relaxation on the boy's face once his ring was returned to him.

"You have no idea how good this feels," Zek said in an excited tone.

"Summer had it."

The weight in the room became palpable, something Aero knew Zek hated. The usually hyperactive bird planted his feet firmly on the ground as all eyes trained themselves onto him. The light from Zeta had dimmed slightly, a sign to Aero that something troubling was running through his friend's mind.

"Where did you see her?" the black haired boy said in a slightly more serious tone.

Aero recounted what had happened at the cliffside, again choosing to leave out certain bits involving Ruby. What was important now were any and all details about their arrival, which he included in a short mention of how he appeared in the forest. The prince could see by the look in Zek's eye that his mind was already searching for answers.

"I see," said the faunus, looking down at his Shard.

"What about you?" asked Aero. "What happened when you were pulled forward?"

"Well, it all started when I got knocked out of the sky, something that seems to be happening more often." He glanced quickly over Yang, who sneered at him in response. "My wing was messed up pretty bad by a Gryphon, and the next thing I knew I felt like I was underwater. The last thing I remember before waking up was seeing something white in front of me. Of course, that could've just been the snowbank I fell into."

Before anyone could react to Zek's tale, a stumbling sound and a groan came from the doorway. Taiyang moved to block anyone from seeing the kind-of-terrorist in the living room, but seemed to relax a bit when it was revealed who was there.

"Sorry for barging in," said Qrow in a skewed voice, his breath smelling of alcohol, "but I figured I'd come to check up on…" The man's expression quickly changed to shock, followed by him taking out his weapon and pointing it directly at Zek's throat.

"Who are you?" he said fiercely.

"My name's Zek," he said, raising his hands in the air. "First, I love your name, and second, WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PEOPLE AND SWORDS?!"

"Uncle Qrow," said Ruby, tugging at his arm, "it's not what it looks like."

"Seriously," said Zek, "I know terrorists that are less violent."

"Start talking," said Qrow.

"Great," said the eagle with a sigh, "now I've tell the story all over again. Alright, let's start with how I almost killed my best friend."

-x-

Aero sighed as laid down on his makeshift bed. It seemed like every other day held some new form of stress for the blonde Totomian and that day was no exception. Still, he was happy to see his friend once more, even if he was crammed into a tiny room with him.

 **"Wow,"** said Zek, who was bundled up in a pile of blankets, **"this is quite the downgrade from your usual accommodations. Do they even have room service?"**

Almost on cue, a knock was heard from the door.

"Come in,"said Aero.

A pair of silver eyes peered into the room before a pajama clad Ruby stepped into view. Aero sat and up and smiled to greet the girl while Zek shuffled around in his makeshift nest, trying to escape the trap he'd unwittingly made for himself.

 **"I could give you the bed you know,"** said Aero.

 **"Oh, but it wouldn't be proper for a prince to lay on the floor,"** he responded in a mockingly formal tone. **"Besides, blankets are easier on the wings."**

"Uhh," said Ruby.

"Oh," Aero said as he perked up, realizing the girl couldn't understand a word they were saying. "Did you need something, Ruby?"

"I was just making sure you were alright in here," she said. "We have a few bigger rooms if you want to use them."

"That won't be necessary, Red," said Zek. "The view's too good to pass up."

"Alright," she said. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Goodnight, Zek. Goodnight, Aero."

"Goodnight, Speedster," said Aero as the door shut, just before his blood started to run cold. Time seemed to stand still around the boy, but it was a different sensation than the visions had caused him. Instead, the boy had simply realized the horrible mistake he'd just made, and the evil grin on the face next to his let him know it was a mistake he wouldn't be making up for anytime soon.

 **"Speedster,"** said Zek, sounding ecstatic. **"Don't tell me that you're cheating on Quinn, you dog."**

 **"I'M NOT…"** he shouted with crimson cheeks before quieting down. **"I mean… Quinn isn't… Ruby isn't… you know what I mean!"**

 **"Oh, I know exactly what you mean."**

Aero just sighed and laid back on his bed. He was prepared for the onslaught of teasing he was sure to be receiving soon, but, surprisingly, the faunus stopped laughing a moment later. The prince looked over to see his friend with a slightly sad expression, something the boy knew was a terrible sign.

"I actually saw Quinn during the battle," he said, causing Aero's eyes to widen. "Her and Jen were fighting some Grimm outside the forge so I gave them cover. Summer came sprinting a few moments later and told us Halos needed the Shards."

Aero sat silently, hanging on to every word his friend spoke, but also thinking about everything that happened to him on that day.

"It was chaos," said Zek. "Grimm were everywhere, people were panicking, and even some guards were fighting each other."

The faunus turned to his friend with pleading eyes.

"Aero," he said, "what happened?"

"Honestly," he said in a hollow voice, "I was hoping you had more answers."

The prince recounted everything that he'd experienced since the attack began, mostly what happened between him and Rize. After Halos was wounded, Aero decided to jump into the fray himself, despite the terror he had felt. Zek listened silently to every word, his emerald eyes focused intently, something Aero rarely saw. Once his story was over, the faunus ran his thumb over Zeta, a light green glow shining off the stone.

"Risse," he said.

"Rize," corrected Aero.

Under normal circumstances, Zek was never at a loss for words, so it was unnerving for Aero to watch him sit in silence. The blonde waited patiently for his friend for his friend to say something. Anything at all.

" **That bast…"** Zek cut himself off, looking over at his friend. **"Sorry. I guess that would be insulting you and Dunden too."**

" **Well,"** the prince said with a small smile, **"you're not wrong."**

"Hey, brother," said Zek, chuckling a bit at Aero's response, "what do you suppose we do now?"

"I…" the prince said, trying to collect his thoughts, "I'm not sure, but I just had a thought. If you're here, then that means maybe…"

"...the others are too," said Zek. "Jen, Selena, and Acrose. I was thinking the same thing, though it's just a guess."

"If they are in this time, do you think they'll be alright?" the prince asked with a concern filled voice.

"Are you kidding?" said Zek, shifting around in his little nest. "It's gonna take a little more than this mess to bring them down. Who knows? Maybe they're making their way here right now."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Don't worry, Aero," the eagle said as curled up in the blankets, "I'm already working on a plan to get us back home."

"We're just gonna improvise, aren't we?"

"Ooohhh, yeah," he said with a laugh. "Night."

"Night," Aero said. The boy turned on his side and looked down at the silver jewel in front of him, wondering just what power it held inside. Zek's presence proved the Shards were connected to their bearers, but the answer of how or why was still a mystery to him. He worried about the others who may have been pulled forward, but also worried for those left behind and those he wasn't sure were affected. Dunden had never worn a Shard, but a nagging feeling in the back of Aero's mind told him his twin was somewhere, waiting.

"Hey, Zek?" asked Aero.

"Yeah," he responded, his voice muffled.

" **You were calling the girls some weird names downstairs. What did you mean?"**

" **I just like nicknames, though not as much as you apparently."** A faint laugh sounded from beneath the covers, causing Aero to scowl. **"I've tried coming up with one for you, but you're kind of a few people. Makes it difficult."**

" **What does that even… you know, nevermind,"** Aero said as he pulled up the cover. **"I don't want to know."**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey, guys! I just want to give a quick shout out to everyone taking midterms right now. Believe me, I understand that pain. I'm not saying that I need Spring Break now, but I need Spring Break now. Anyway, enough complaining on my part. As always, be sure to follow, favorite, and comments thoughts and questions on the story. Enjoy the chapter!**

During his childhood, Dunden was known as a prodigy with the blade. As the son of the king and personal apprentice to the highest ranking general, it was no surprise to anyone when they saw the skill he possessed. Though Aero surely possessed talent of his own, even to the point where Dunden had trouble defeating him in training duels, most recognized the black haired boy as the stronger of the twins.

That being said, Dunden wished his brother were there at the moment, if only to give him a greater challenge than those around him could provide.

"Surely you have better," he said, lowering his blade. The two panting faunus charged at the boy with swords in hand, hoping to take revenge for his insult. The boy nonchalantly bent over to dodge the attack and tripped one of his opponents into smacking into the other. One quick burst of violet aura to the side and another two thugs were out of commision.

"Is this the best your organization has to offer?" Dunden said, walking over to Adam and his lieutenant. The bull grunted in frustration and instinctively grabbed the hilt of his own blade, something that _almost_ made the boy raise an eyebrow.

"No," he responded, releasing his grip. "The White Fang has far more strength left to show."

"Then show me," the boy dared.

"You asked for it," the faunus responded. He looked to his second-in-command and gestured forward into the training zone. The hulking man stepped forward, pulling out his strange looking sword as he did so. Dunden watched as the razors covering the blade started to spin while a horrible sound filled the room. The boy raised a single sword at the faunus, eager to see what those in this time were capable of.

"I hate to interrupt this little contest," shouted a woman's voice, "but we have something everyone might have an interest in seeing." Dunden turned to see Cinder had entered the room and was walking toward them. The boy sheathed his blade and turned to greet the pyromancer, paying no mind to angry faunus staring him down. The woman quickly glared at the hulking man, causing him to put away his weapon in fear, something that amused Dunden greatly.

"What happened?" asked Adam.

"I just thought you'd like to know the squad you deployed to Vale fled the city with their tails between their legs," she said. "Quite literally, in fact."

 _ **Why do I find that funny?**_

"What?!" shouted Adam.

"You heard me correctly," she said. "Don't make me repeat myself. Anyway, Roman is due to report in a few minutes. We'll see what he has to say about this."

The woman turned and walked into the hallway, the men following closely behind. The cave system wasn't nearly as crowded as when they first arrived, something Dunden was thankful for, but he still wondered for what purpose the faunus had been deployed. They continued for a few moments before entering the long conference room where Emerald and Mercury were waiting by a screen showing, in front of what looked like ruins, the nervous looking face of Dunden's least favorite cell neighbor.

"Hello, Roman," Cinder said calmly.

"Uh...hello," said the orange haired man.

"I take it you're enjoying your return to Vale," the woman said again, this time with the threatening undertone in her voice being more evident.

"Well," he said, scratching the back of his head, "I've definitely had worse days in this city."

"That much is obvious, Roman," she said sternly. "I'm starting to think freeing you was a mistake. It would be a shame if I had to _correct_ my decision."

The Totomian watched the young woman verbally punish her subordinate, something he couldn't decide if he respected or feared. Either way, he was impressed by the sway she held over the room. He quickly glanced to the side and saw that everyone had stepped back and turned away out of fear of being caught in her anger.

"I still met my contact," he said quickly, trying to save face. "We should be able to keep up the work in Vale, granted no more… interference happens."

"What kind of interference, exactly?" asked Cinder. Roman's expression changed as he focused in on the black haired boy. He was clearly still nervous, but now the anger was more prevalent.

"The kind that looks exactly like your boyfriend there," he said, "though this one came in a different color."

All eyes turned to the black haired boy, each with mixed amounts of confusion and intrigue. Dunden had to admit that he felt the same emotions, though to a far lesser extent. He'd expected Aero to involve himself at some point, though it seemed it would be sooner rather than later.

"I take it the defeat was humiliating then," said Dunden. "I'd be shocked to hear my brother had even the slightest problem with you."

"You little bastard," said the angry crimelord.

"Well," said the prince, "you're not wrong."

"Roman," Cinder said as the tension in the air grew, "I'd rather you not insult our guest."

"Y-yes, ma'am," the man whimpered.

 _ **I**_ **do** _ **know why I find that funny.**_

"Now," she continued, "I think it's obvious we may have put too much trust in your abilities, Roman. I'm going to send someone to help you deal with these problems, if he would be willing."

Cinder turned to the Totomian and looked him with an almost mischievous look in her eyes. The boy knew by her look she was interested in how his involvement would play out. He felt the nervousness in his stomach grow as he thought about seeing his brother again, but, looking up at the ruins behind Roman, Dunden felt that he may just have to go.

"Dunden," Cinder said softly, "would you be willing?"

"Oh, come on," said Roman. "I'd rather put my trust in a Grimm that get this kid's help."

"Yeah," said Emerald. "Are you really gonna trust him over us?"

 _ **Trust in a Grimm?**_

"Dunden?" she asked again, ignoring the complaints.

The prince reached down and pulled Psi out of his pocket, casting an eerily beautiful violet shine across the room. He could feel waves of aura in his body change their shape, the thoughts in his head twisting slightly. It wasn't an experience he could put into words.

It was soothing, it was painful, and it was something Aero could never see.

"I'll go," he finally said, "but I need to go somewhere else first. I don't think it's very far from here."

"Hmm," said Cinder. "Is it important?"

"It's the most important thing in the world," he replied.

"Very well then," she said. "We'll be sure to prepare. Is there anything else you'd like to report, Roman?"

"Just that it was the usual group of brats as usual," he said. "Looks like Red and her friends are still snooping around."

"They won't be a problem," said Dunden.

"They might just surprise you," Roman said threateningly. "Also, I should probably mention that one our guys hasn't checked in since the fight."

"What do you mean, "hasn't checked in," asked Adam.

"I mean he apparently got blown over the top of a building and no one has seen him since. It was that new eagle guy. I think his name was Zeke or something."

 _ **Of course.**_

"Let us know if he turns up," said Cinder. "In the meantime, keep licking your wounds. I'll have instructions soon enough." With that, the black haired girl switched off the monitor and turned her attention back to the prince.

"So," she said, "where are we going?"

"We?"

"You didn't think I'd let you out of my sight, did you?" For some reason, Dunden felt his heart rate increase. He thought it may have just been the fear of the risk he was taking, but something told him that wasn't quite the correct answer.

"Hold on," Adam said fiercely. "One of our own is missing and you're just ignoring that?"

"I'm not worried about him," said Dunden as he turned away, "not that I have much faith in the White Fang's strength."

"You little…" said the lieutenant as he drew his weapon. He raised the sword above him as the obnoxious sound once more filled Dunden's ears, annoying the boy more than anything else. The faunus swung his weapon down towards the boy, who casually raised his sword over his shoulder in defense. Allowing a bit of energy to flow from Psi, Dunden raised his blade and make contact, tearing off the razor edges of the weapon and sending its chain flying across the room, nearly hitting Mercury on its path.

"You shouldn't have…" the boy started to say, until a bright light flashed in front of him. Before he knew it, the faunus was thrown into the nearest wall and Cinder took a few steps forward, her arm raised in the air.

"Adam," she said calmly, "please take your soldier and leave. I'd rather not have the smell of charred hide floating in the air."

Neither faunus said a word as they exited the room, one limping on the other. Dunden turned from watching them to see the silver haired boy whisper something to the girl standing next to him. Once he noticed Dunden's gaze, he simply glared, probably a little upset from nearly getting his head cut off.

"I didn't need you to help me," said the boy, "but thank you."

"There's no need to thank me," she replied, "but if you'd really like to repay me, you could start by telling me where you're going. If it sounds interesting, I may just be inclined to accompany you."

"Why is that?" he responded. "Is the company here not good enough for you? Not that I'd be surprised."

"You little…"

"The last person who said that ended up thrown into a wall, Mercury," said Dunden. The silver haired boy said nothing as he grunted to himself and walked out the door with Emerald following behind.

"You have a way of making enemies," said Cinder.

"It's not about the enemies you make," he said. "It's about the allies you make to defeat them."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Besides, if you're going somewhere, something tells me there will be plenty of enemies. I think I may just enjoy it."

"You'd better be ready then," he said. "The place we're going doesn't treat its visitors kindly."

"And where exactly are we going?"

The boy looked down at Psi, causing the fear his is heart to churn.

"Nowhere special," he said. "Just the depths of Hell."

-x-

"Phew," whistled Zek. "Summer sure wasn't lying. Emerald-Hogwarts City really is something to see."

"Uhh," said Ruby, "it's actually called Beacon."

"Heh, heh," laughed the bird. "No, it's not."

The hooded girl raised an eyebrow at the weird way their newest houseguest spoke. Aero had told them to merely brush it off as him "being a birdbrain," but something about him seemed off to Ruby. He didn't seem threatening at all, though she was still a bit cross about Aero nearly getting shot by him. The blonde haired boy said his friend was usually just overdramatic, but Ruby was still keeping her eyes open for anything suspicious.

"I was hoping we wouldn't be back here so soon," said a dejected Weiss as they walked toward the school. "It hasn't even been a month yet."

"I thought you liked school, Weiss," said Ruby.

"Yeah," said Yang. "What happened to the whole "Being the best huntress you can be" thing?"

"I don't mind training," she said, "but if I never see another history test again, it'll be too soon."

"You probably picked the wrong time to come back then," said Blake. "It was Doctor Oobleck who called us here."

Ruby thought back to earlier that morning when she'd received a message from her Uncle Qrow about coming to Beacon for something Oobleck wanted to show them. Her father and uncle had already gone ahead to talk with Ozpin about something, but, from the way her teacher sounded, it must have been important.

"Are you okay, Ruby?" asked Aero. "You look pretty serious about something."

"Oh," she said, shying away a bit, "it's nothing. I'm just wondering what they want to talk to us about."

"All I'm wondering is why he isn't a wearing a shirt," Weiss said as she gestured to the eagle faunus. Zek was wearing nothing but a black pair of shorts and a spare pair of shoes while his wings covered up most of his back. He'd flown the entire way to Beacon by himself that way, leaving Ruby to wonder how anyone could stand being so high in the sky without an airships heater.

"Tell me, Snow, if you had a majestic pair of wings like these, wouldn't you want the whole world to see?"

"Not at the cost of my decency."

"Hey," he said, looking back at them, "everything that needs to be covered is covered."

"Zek," Aero said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, you know what I… ooohhhh."

The group of teenagers watched with confused expressions as the faunus boy stared up to Ozpin's tower with wide eyes. He turned back to look at Aero with a wicked smile on his face and quickly said something Ruby didn't understand. The blonde boy replied in the same foreign tongue, though he sounded far less excited.

"Alright, fine," said the eagle as he walked over and leaned on his friend in mock depression. "I guess I'll just have to go up the less fun way."

Looking closer, Ruby could see a faint green glow sweep from Zek onto Aero's body. The prince's eyes immediately turned wide as he took a few awkward steps forward, all while the eagle was barely containing his laughter.

"Looks like you don't have a choice now," he said, "unless you want Zeta's little effect to keep up." With that, the faunus raced forward and jumped into the air, flapping up gusts of wind as he did so. Ruby looked as Aero's uncomfortable expression quickly turned into a smile as he charged forward and lit up with a green tinted light around him. He jumped straight up and followed his friend to the top of tower, leaving the girls down at the bottom with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"Did…" said Weiss, "did they…"

"Did he…" added Yang.

"Come on," Ruby said. "We've gotta get to the top." The girls ran into the school, found the first elevator they could, and pushed the top button. It was a few more moments before the door opened to show Taiyang and Qrow standing with Ozpin. All three turned to greet the girls, but they were more concerned by the lack of anyone else in the room.

"So, you finally made it," said the older scythe wielder. "Where are the other two?"

Ruby looked around franticly, trying to see where the boys had gone. She knew it wasn't possible they could've beaten them to the top, unless something bad had happened, like them hitting something, or Aero not being able to make it, or Zek really being a baddie, or…

The girl was taken out of her slightly panicked thoughts by the sound of a knocking outside the window. Everyone turned to see the two boys standing precariously on the edge of the balcony, one looking terrified and one looking like he was having the time of his life.

"Hey!" the eagle shouted through the glass. "We're a little lost. Do you think you could point us back to the Yellow Brick Road?"

-x-

"And that, for the third time, is what happened."

Everyone looked towards Ozpin, waiting for his response to Zek's story. The white haired man looked strangely relaxed as he took in all the information he could. He took a quick sip from his coffee mug before speaking up.

"It seems my friends here were right," said Oz. "Your story certainly is… interesting."

"Why thank you," said the eagle. "I do my best to entertain."

"And forcing people into stupid things," added Aero.

"That was fun and you know it. Besides, it wasn't nearly the worst things I've ever had you do. Remember that time in the Mantle Straight with the…"

"Yes," said the prince, "and no, I'm still never going fishing with you again."

The room was more than a bit confused as the boys continued their conversation in their native tongue. It wasn't hard to see the two were merely teasing each other, something Ozpin found amusing. Aero nudged his friend in the side once he noticed the awkward looks from the others.

"We're being rude, Zek," he said as Ozpin laughed. "Is something funny, professor?"

"It's just always amusing to see a harmless spat between friends. Qrow and Glenda lose them to me all the time," he said as the old scythe wielder sighed. "Anyway, I would like to ask you a few more questions, but I think Doctor Oobleck will be here any moment. He has something he'd like to share with you, but seemed a little caught up in his research."

"Let me guess," said Zek. "He'll show up right… about… now!"

Nothing happened.

"Huh," he said. "That usually…"

The elevator door started to open a moment later. Before anyone could react, a green blur dashed into the room at breakneck speed, stopping right beside Zek. In the brief moment he was still, everyone could see the extremely excited look on the Doctor's face.

"I can't believe it!" he shouted, seemingly teleporting around the eagle. "Another Totomian in our midst! Not to mention the arrival of an eagle faunus, one of the rarest species to exist in Remnant. Oh, just imagine the data we can collect! The history of faunus variety. Differences between species of different ages. It's almost too much!"

"Uh…" said Aero.

"Oh, you're right Aero. There can never be too much knowledge. Young man," he said moving directly in front of Zek, "my name is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck and I am honored to make your acquaintance.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Doctor," he responded in an equally rapid pace. "My name is Zek, I'm almost nineteen, and I love your hair. Aero, I'm getting green highlights."

"Uh…" Aero said again.

"Why thank you, Zek," the Doctor said with sincere gratitude. "Not many appreciate just the windblown style I prefer and…"

"Excuse me!" the prince finally said, causing the two to quiet themselves. "I don't mean to be rude, but you said you had something to show us."

"Oh, right," Oobleck said, never losing pace. "I called you here to discuss what may be the greatest anthropological discovery of our era."

"Meaning…?" asked Zek.

"Meaning, my dear boy, that I may have just rediscovered Totum."


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey, guys! Sorry I'm a little late with this, but midterms were exhausting and I've just kind of been doing nothing all spring break. I may have put in a _few_ too many hours on Skyrim, but I'm in a dungeon crawling mood ;) As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comments thoughts and questions on the story. I'm always ready to hear story ideas. Enjoy the next chapter!**

"Fellow Huntsmen, students, and esteemed guests," said Oobleck, pulling a book out of his bag, "I present to you, the key to Remnant's forgotten past." Everyone circled around Ozpin's desk as the green haired doctor laid the book out for all to see. Zek seemed to take a particular interest in the tome and stared at it intently.

"Hmm," he said, rubbing his chin. "Yes, I see. Interesting."

"You have no idea what it says, do you?" Aero said with a smirk.

"Not a word, no," the eagle said, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, Doctor, but we're better speakers than writers, which is kind of ironic given that we're in… you know what, never mind."

Aero had to admit that Zek was right in that regard. In all the years he'd known Summer, the prince had never been able to understand her writing. She'd tried showing him a few times, but it always far easier to speak a word than learn its symbol. Given how quickly his friend picked up the language when they met, Aero had half expected Zek to have it down with perfect penmanship.

"No problem, my new friend," said Oobleck. "In fact, I think you'll find the rest of us have a similar issue. This book is titled _The Kingdoms of Remnant_ , one of the most well respected collections of historical knowledge in the modern world, and I believe it may contain the information we need to rediscover our kingdoms forerunners."

The green haired man turned a few pages in the book, revealing a map of Remnant's kingdoms with their respective symbols highlighted above them, something Aero took a bit of pride in. Even in his time, humanity had been able to map out their planet with a surprising amount of accuracy. He thought back to how excited Selena was when Summer revealed an entire continent had been missed, and, judging by the island on the bottom right hand corner, the seafarer's maps were right on point. Still, it wasn't just the shape of the lands that was familiar.

"Well, look what we have here," said Zek. "It seems you all are a bunch of copycats."

"Ah," said Oobleck, sounding very excited, "I was hoping you would say something like that."

"The resemblance is pretty striking," Aero said, looking closer, "though the fact some changed to weapons worries me a bit."

"I'm sorry," chimed in Weiss, "but could one of you please explain whatever it is you're talking about?"

"Excellent question, Ms. Schnee," said Oobleck, "though one I myself am not yet prepared to answer. I called you here today in order to confirm my new founded suspicions on the early formations of our kingdoms, and, based on the initial reactions of our guests here, I'd say there is certainly some merit to them."

"Uhh… what?"

"He means the pretty pictures on the map mean something, Snow."

"Then could you tell us already?" Weiss said in an angry tone. "We're getting tired of waiting."

"You're not the only ones," Zek said with a laugh.

"Basically," said Aero, "the symbols here are very similar to ones Totum used, though they're nowhere near identical."

"I don't know. Ol' Iapetus looks about the same. They even kept the spear look."

"Iapetus?" asked an excited Oobleck.

"It's our name for Atlas," the eagle replied. "Not much has changed, though. Cold then, cold now."

The whole group looked on with worried faces as Oobleck began to move faster and faster in excitement. Aero was worried that the doctor may very well explode if something didn't stop him soon, so he decided to ask a question.

"Doctor," he said, getting the green haired man's attention.

"Yes, Aero?" he responded, practically a blur at that point.

"I realize this is all important information,…"

"Absolutely priceless knowledge!"

"...but why did you call us here? I mean, I understand meeting Zek…"

"Because who wouldn't want to meet me?"

"...,anyway," he said, hoping not to get interrupted again, "how did you know these were Totomian?

"I was far from certain," he said. "I came up with my hypothesis based on research into the few artifacts we have that mention your nation. The language used today clearly evolved from an earlier form, but, as with information on early and pre-kingdom ages, most records have been lost. Fortunately, we have the perfect opportunity to possibly recover this knowledge."

"That's where we come in," said Taiyang.

"Us teachers are taking you lot on a field trip," added Qrow.

"Field trip?" asked Ruby.

Oobleck reached back into his bag and pulled out several pictures. The photographs showed towering stone ruins that looked very, very, _very_ familiar. The Totomians quickly grabbed the photos and stared at them with wide eyes.

"This is… **this is…!"**

 **"Very, very bad,"** Zek said in a worried tone, shocking his friend. **"I thought they looked familiar."**

 **"What do you mean? Don't you see it?!"**

 **"Oh, I see it alright."**

"You see," said the doctor, completely unaware of what was being said, "I researched into the origins of Vale and found that our current symbol likely evolved from an older such design. In particular, a carving found near the inner sanctum of a temple not far from here."

"Let me guess," said Zek, "it's in the Emerald Forest."

"That is correct, my friend. Please, how did you know?"

"Well," he said, "the last time I saw these towers, I was standing a couple miles due west."

"So?" Asked Weiss.

"So, we may have some friends waiting for us once we get there. I don't want to alarm anyone, but we might have a White Fang camp sitting right outside our door. Speaking of which…"

Zek leaned over the table and looked intently at the map in front of him, his eyes darting around the page. Aero wasn't sure exactly what his friend was doing, but he suspected they wouldn't need to see another world map anytime soon. The eagle reached out and started pointing at spots all over the world.

"Here, here, here, here, here, here, here, aaaannnnndddd… here. There's probably more, but those were all they'd added when I saw."

"Saw what?" asked Ozpin.

"A map of outposts all over Remnant," he said, causing the Huntsmen in the room to straighten up. "I wasn't exactly supposed to see it, but it's hard to hide anything from these eyes, even if it's just for a second. And, before you ask, no, I don't know what they're planning. Our jobs were to take orders and keep our mouths shut, neither of which really agree with me."

"You were able to remember all that from seeing it once?" asked Blake.

"Nothing gets out of this vault," Zek said while knocking himself on the head, "and trust me, there's a lot in here."

Aero turned to see the worried faces of the adults in the room. Ozpin in particular looked like his mind was racing. After all, it isn't every day a leak that large comes along. The silver haired man scratched his chin for a moment and looked up towards the group in front of him.

"Well," he said, "it looks like your archaeological mission just got a bit more exciting. Zek, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like a copy of those locations. It's very important we know the White Fang's whereabouts.

"You got it, Oz," he said with a smile.

"As for the rest of you," he continued, "I wish you happy hunting."

-x-

The two airships landed in one of the few clearings the forest provided. Ruby stepped out of her ship, followed by her father, Weiss, and Aero. The second half of their group exited the other bullhead just as Zek made his landing in between them. Though she would have liked to move a bit closer to their target, Professor Ozpin had told them a stealthier attack would work better, even if it did mean a bit more walking.

"You know," said the eagle, "for all of your technology, I thought you'd make ships that went a little faster. I could've been here an hour ago if I didn't have to follow your slow butts."

"It only took us ten minutes to get here," said Weiss.

"My point still stands." Ruby laughed a bit to herself as she listened to the Zek. Even if he sounded a little weird sometimes, the girl was with Aero in thinking he had his moments.

Speaking of the prince, the hooded girl looked forward to notice just where they had landed. A familiar looking temple stood at the edge of the clearing, filling the girl with another wave of nostalgia, one shared by her teammates; however, unlike her teammates, Ruby now had new memories tied to the clearing.

"This place seems familiar," said Aero, obviously a little confused. The girl laughed at his expression and filled him in as they walked toward the temple.

"This is actually where we met," she said, "though it wasn't really a happy moment."

"True. After all, you nearly gave me a concussion when you ran into me," he said in a teasing tone.

"I did not!" she responded, barely able to hold back her smile. "You were bleeding out and I saved your life. I never got a thank you, by the way." The girl crossed her arms and turned away from the boy with a huff. Though she didn't like thinking about how injured Aero was when he arrived, she had to admit she was more than happy he was here to laugh about it.

"Alright, alright," he said with a laugh. "You want a thank you? How about this?"

Before she could react, Ruby felt a small pressure as the boy lightly pressed his finger on her forehead. A small light flashed in front of her eyes a moment later and she felt a small drop of warmth seep into her body.

"I," he began in a more formal tone, "Aero, son of Halos, as a prince of Totum and in recognition of your acts, offer myself to your service until such time as my debt has been fulfilled, barring unreasonable or immoral acts on the part of my repayment, or in the event of a greater debt. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I pledge my soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

As the warmth on her forehead faded, Ruby felt a new warmth rise quickly in her cheeks. Though she had no idea what Aero had just done, the smile on his face let her know it was important. She tried asking him, but she was having a little trouble forming her thoughts.

"W-what did you…?"

"Eh hmm," said her dad in a deep tone, "We, ugh, need to get the mission started, so, yeah, come on." The girl could tell her father was trying to sound tough, slowly panicking as she thought he may be thinking the same thing as the others. Looking at her friends and uncle, she saw nothing but raised eyebrows and wicked smiles. Weiss was the worst, and, surprisingly, Zek seemed the most reserved.

"Alright, everyone," said Oobleck, getting everyone's away from the blushing girl, "it's about time we started this little excursion. For this mission's purposes we will be splitting into two teams. Mr. Xiao Long and myself will be leading Aero, Zek, and Yang due south to our objective while Mr. Branwen will take Blake, Ruby, and Weiss to infiltrate the White Fang camp. Are there any questions?"

"I've got one," Zek said, raising his hand. "Do you mind if I switch with Red? I'd hate to break up the family bonding time."

"Are you certain?" Asked Oobleck. "This is your home we're talking about."

"My home isn't a place, doctor," he said with a smile. "What about you, Scarecrow? Do you mind having another bird on the team? I could make getting in a whole lot easier."

"I've got no problem with the kid tagging along," the grey haired man responded. "Besides, I'd rather have him than an annoying teenage girl any day."

"Heyy," said Ruby, glaring at her laughing uncle.

"Alright then," said Oobleck. "Let's be on our way."

Both teams started walking towards their objectives when Ruby saw Zek stop Aero. The black haired boy whispered something in his ear, and, by the look on his face, it might have been something serious. The look didn't last long, however, and the eagle quickly said something else in his foreign tongue with a massive smirk on his face.

"Yeah, yeah," Aero responded. "Just try not to get yourself or, more importantly, anyone else hurt."

"Come on, Aero," he said with laugh. "We're just simultaneously storming a terrorist compound and delving into a likely dangerous ancient temple. What could possibly go wrong?"

-x-

 _ **This could go very,**_ **very** _ **wrong.**_

Dunden looked over the dark, snowy landscape, worrying about the choice he was about to make. Looking down at Psi, he knew his actions could easily turn into something horrible, but, thinking about how delicate his situation was, he knew he had no other choice. He sent out a small wave of energy into the wilderness, waiting for the response. The rebounding energy let him know he was heading in the right direction. The mountain, standing tall in the distance over the forest, was where he needed to go.

"Are you not coming inside?" came Cinder's voice. He turned around to see the young woman standing on the cabin porch, the fireplace illuminating the windows. She wore a red sweater, looking strangely plain compared to her other outfits, but it made sense to have winter gear instead of a dress.

"I don't think we're overly welcome," he said. "Besides, I like the cold." The Totomian looked in the window to see the old faunus couple passing glares at them. Apparently, they weren't happy with the news of Zek's disappearance. Unfortunately for them, Dunden wasn't in the position to tell them what he suspected had happened to the eagle.

"Don't worry," she said, walking towards them. "Adam has assured their full cooperation. Besides, based on your expression, I doubt we'll be staying long."

Dunden turned away from the young woman while feeling his heart rate increase. Of all the things the prince feared, there was nothing more than a person who could read him. Hiding his emotions was less an action and more a habit for the boy, but he was actively trying to let as little expression out as possible when the pyromancer looked his way.

"No," he said, "we won't. I could have been there already, granted my persistent guest stopped following me."

"You make it sound like you don't want me around," she said as she slid closer to him.

"I'd rather not have anyone with me when I get where I'm heading. Like I told you, it's not a place a human or faunus should go."

"Then why aren't you trying harder to get rid of me?" Dunden couldn't find an answer, and, fortunately for him, didn't have to give one. Cinder turned away and started walking back toward the cabin door.

"Do consider coming in, though," she said, stepping into the house. "I'm making the best hot chocolate you'll ever drink."

 _Hot chocolate,_ he thought to himself. _What kind of woman can make hot chocolate sound scary?_

Looking down at his Shard once more, Dunden sighed and accepted that there was now one more person who scared him, and, strangely enough, he didn't really mind. The violet eyed prince stared into the distorted reflection on the crystal and nearly felt a strange feeling in his chest. He put the purple gem back into his pocket and made his way back into the cabin, eager for the time he wouldn't have to worry about his face, but just as eager to put the young woman's claim to the test.

 _ **Don't worry, brother. I'll see you soon.**_


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey, guys! So, I actually got around to writing a slightly longer chapter. It's amazing what you can do when you aren't procrastinating... to badly. Anyway, you know the drill. Be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your thoughts and questions. All story ideas are appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!**

 **P.S. I didn't know I wanted RWBY Chibi, but I do now.**

"So," asked Weiss, "what was that all about?"

Blake turned to listen to her teammate as they walked through the woods. The three teenagers stood in the back while Qrow took point in front of them, though she noticed his head turn slightly to listen in to their conversation.

"I'm pretty sure she's talking about Aero and Ruby," the cat faunus said.

"Oh, that?" said Zek. "Well, Aero's the kind of guy who takes his debts seriously. A little too seriously, if you ask me, but he never listens. Anyway, he basically just gave Little Red a _very_ formal IOU, though I doub- Ursa."

Blake's instincts kicked in at the thought of a fight, but she never even got the chance to grab her weapon. In a quick, fluid motion, the eagle drew his bow and launched a single arrow into the thick trees. Her eyesight may have been great, but all Blake could make out of the creature was the red and black smoke pile it evaporated into.

"I love sneak attacks," the eagle said as he pulled back another arrow. "They let you deal with problems so much quicker." He fired another shot, this time so deep into the woods Blake couldn't follow it, and let out a relaxed sigh. "Nothing like a few dead monster bears to kickoff an afternoon raid."

"You can see that far ahead?" Blake said, amazed at his acuity.

"You guys do still have eagles right?" he said sarcastically. "You know, those birds of prey whose eyesight lets them hunt stuff from that far away thing called the sky? I'm kinda one of those."

"That's pretty impressive, kid," said Qrow, "but try not to waste your arrows. If the White Fang see Grimm started dropping, they're gonna know something's up."

"Don't worry, we aren't even close to the camp yet and I'm usually pretty good about keeping some in the quiver."

The eagle drew one more arrow back and aimed straight ahead into the forest.

"Besides," he said, releasing his string, "killing Grimm is almost too much fun to pass up."

Blake wasn't sure why, but she felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the boy's smile. She enjoyed the background, silently observing all that went on around her, and had come to the conclusion Zek was likely harmless. His humor, though a bit childish and strange, was well-meaning, and he and Aero shared a genuine friendship. Still, his tone when he mentioned the Grimm left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"Anyway," Zek said, clipping his bow onto his back, "there are a few oaths Totomians have that we take more seriously than others, complete with official wording, registration yada yada yada, so what Aero said essentially has the effect of law. I doubt Red will ever call the favor in, but she could pretty much get anything from him."

"And the lights?" asked Weiss.

"Nothing quite says "I'll do what you want" more than handing over a bit of your soul to another person."

Qrow suddenly stopped in front of the group and looked back toward Zek with an intense gaze. Blake knew next to nothing about her teammates' uncle, but she was having a hard time deciding if he really cared about them or was just some old drunk. Either way, the girl could by the look in his blood red eyes that Zek's words had peaked his interest.

"You mean you can just… transfer aura to another person?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Zek said, walking forward. "We should keep moving though. It's rude to keep friends waiting." The boy got a few more steps ahead before Blake and the others decided to follow suit. She'd noticed the nonchalant attitude he and Aero shared, making her wonder just what kind of world Totum was when people could talk about time-travel and soul transfers like they were everyday occurrences.

"How do you do it, though?" the man asked. "What kind of effects does it have?"

"Nothing serious… usually. When it's that small an amount, the host shouldn't even notice the bit of extra baggage until they decide to call in the debt. You'd be surprised just how much force a tiny little gust can carry. As for how it's done, that's a bit more complicated, though I suppose anyone with a brain could figure it out."

The boy looked straight on ahead as he clasped his hands on the back of his head, walking along like he didn't have a care in the world. The stone on his hand started to lightly glow as a gentle breeze pushed through the tree leaves. Though she didn't know how direct aura transfer was possible, or even if it sounded like an ethical thing to do, Blake was fairly certain what the eagle meant by the gesture.

"You do have a brain right?" he said, now looking back and waving his hand.

"I get it," Qrow responded. "Those stones must really be something else."

"In the right hands," Zek said with a smile. "I'm not too worried about Summer's daughter making my royal buddy do something he wouldn't like, but it could still go wrong. Or incredibly right, if he'd have just changed a few words."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Weiss.

"Something you'd probably like, Snow," he said with a smirk. "Let's just say we were only a few lines away from a 100% official Totomian wedding."

Blake could practically see the slow motion view as the heiress' shocked smile grew, but it was overshadowed by the sheer killing intent she felt radiating off their chaperone. The grey haired man turned on a dime, looked the flying faunus right in the eye and, along with their white haired friend, let out a shout that shook the forest.

"WHAT?!" they shouted in unison, one obviously more happy than the other. Blake was definitely curious by what the boy meant, but she figured they had bigger problems to worry about now. Mostly, the fact that she could spot several Grimm making their way towards them, attracted to the crazy mix of emotions in the air.

"Do you think anyone heard that?" Blake asked sarcastically asked she and Zek readied their weapons.

"If you're asking about the White Fang patrolman who just came into my view and is now probably, most definitely calling for backup, I'm gonna go with a very strong maybe."

-x-

History was never a strong subject for Ruby. She didn't have any certain dislike for it, but remembering names and places of the past was always something the girl found challenging. The scythe wielder had at one time dismissed knowledge of the past as something useless on the battlefield. She was thankful for Doctor Oobleck's advice during their Mountain Glenn mission though, otherwise she wouldn't have appreciated the view in front of her.

The landscape was filled with slabs of ancient stone carvings, proof people had built massive structures in the far past. The hills rolled into new areas filled with more structures, remnants of roads, and, unfortunately for them, a few roaming groups of Grimm. She made sure Crescent Rose was fully loaded and made her way forward with the group.

"Looks like we may have some trouble ahead," said Yang.

"Maybe," her father said with a smile, "but it's nothing we can't handle."

Ruby always found it funny the way her dad acted in the field. Normally, he was a nervous wreck, constantly finding new phobias for just about everything, but all that went away when he knew a fight was coming. He curled up his gauntlet covered fists, showing the excitement he had, and Ruby wondered what her mother thought about her father while on missions.

The girl felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her mother, but she immediately pushed the thought away and remembered why they were here. At the moment, these ruins were their best chance of finding out anything they could about Totum. Turning to the side, Ruby saw Doctor Oobleck and Aero walk towards one of the carved stones in the ground. She made her way over to them, leaving her dad and sister to worry about the Grimm, and listened to their conversation. She was hoping to ask about whatever he had said to her earlier, but was drawn into their discussion.

"This area has housed many short-lasting nations in the past," Oobleck said. "That may be a reason."

"Maybe," Aero said in a low tone, something that worried Ruby. "These symbols aren't Totomian, but at least some of them are rooted in it. This was a village, but I can't read the name."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Ah, my dear girl," the man said, "we are trying to find any possible link to Totum we can. There have been a multitude of would-be kingdoms in what would become Vale, but most rarely lasted long enough to have any sort of distinct historical record."

He took a moment to write down several of the symbols in his book before continuing.

"Many historians believe these tribes cumulated here, resulting in the mixing of cultures that comprise our own. This lack of distinction was likely caused by the hostile environment of Remnant typically only allowing for these short-term settlements. This, however, begs the question: how could an entire empire, one that predates, yet surpasses the others, simply disappear?"

Thinking about it for a moment, Ruby realized just how strange the whole mystery was. Even with whatever part the Shards played in it, and entire civilization was gone, something that just doesn't happen overnight. She almost toyed with the thought that Aero was lying to them, but everything she had seen, every...one she had seen, made her put full faith in the boy. Still, she simply didn't have an answer.

"I hypothesize," said Oobleck, "that the birth of brief, yet prevalent civilizations may have caused information on Totum to be greatly diluted, resulting in the lack of references available to modern archaeologists. I cannot say with certainty how this information was lost, but what we find today may provide a clue."

"Uhh… what?"

"He means the information may be here," said Aero, "but there's a lot of other stuff to sort through."

"Precisely, my boy. It looks like we have quite a bit of digging to do, though only metaphorically, thankfully. Many of the more well preserved ruins, including the one we hope to reach, are concealed in underground caverns. The nearest entrance should be just ahead."

Ruby was about to speak up when the sounds of growling and gunfire filled the air. She turned to see Yang and their father fighting a small pack of Beowolves and a few Baboaratusks. They didn't look like they need any help, what with Yang punching them into the sky and their dad's claws tearing the monsters to pieces, but Ruby couldn't help but want to join the fight.

"You coming?" she asked as she readied her scythe.

"I'm not really in the mood to fight," the boy said, once more in a low tone, though he kept shooting glances at the battle. "I think I'll stay behind with the Doctor and see if we find anything. We'll be right behind you, so don't let any slip through."

The boy put on a weak smile, one Ruby immediately saw through. Something was really bothering Aero and she didn't know how to help. She thought about asking directly, but she couldn't find the willpower to make the words come out. Instead, the girl just offered a smile back to him and charged into the fray.

For a while, that was how their group advanced. The Rose-Xiao Long family cleared the path while the prince and the professor did their research. Ruby would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying the time with her family, especially her father, who she had rarely seen the past school year, but her mind continually crept back to the young swordsman. During the gaps in combat, she would fall back and ask if anything had been found.

"It's familiar," the boy said. "Definitely not the same, but I can see it in the ruins. There's… something."

Ruby was about to ask what he meant when her sister called her back to the fight.

"Come on, Rubes," yelled Yang. "We've got Ursa!"

"Don't tell me you're gonna let Yang get a higher score than you," Taiyang said with a laugh.

"No way is that happening," Ruby replied. She ran back to her family, but she couldn't help looking back towards Aero and Oobleck. They were looking at some small carving and the professor was obviously excited, but the boy was turned her direction. She couldn't tell exactly what he was looking at, so she wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, she had to mentally slap herself for thinking he might be looking at her, but, on the other hand, his expression just kept getting heavier the farther they traveled. Staring down evil monsters helped a bit, but Ruby just couldn't shake the look on his face from her mind.

Eventually, after walking uphill, the group came to a large overlook, the view showing miles and miles of forest. The area had far more artifacts than the others had, so they all decided to stop for a short break. Oobleck continued to survey the area while the blonde brawlers took a moment to sit and relax. Ruby sat with down with her family, listening to Taiyang praise Yang for her improvement (something her sister enjoyed immensely), when she noticed Aero was walking up the steps to a higher level.

"I'm gonna go check on Aero," she said. "I think something's bothering him."

"Oh," said her father, "uhh, sure. Let's go talk to him."

Knowing how awkward it would be to have all of them ask him, Ruby looked at Yang and gestured toward their houseguest. Picking up on her meaning, though not without smirking, the blonde gave her sister a quick wink in affirmation.

"Hey, dad," said Yang, getting her father's attention, "why don't we let Ruby handle this? Besides, weren't you gonna tell me about that new technique you've been working on?"

Taiyang looked unsure for a moment, but the thought of sharing any kind of knowledge was something he couldn't pass up. Ruby didn't know if that was just the teacher in him, but the distraction let her slip away and follow the boy up the stone balcony. She found him sitting beneath a stone archway on the edge of the platform. She hesitated for a moment, but quickly found the courage to speak up.

"Aero?" she said, getting his attention.

"Oh," he said while turning around, obviously trying to sound happy. "Hey, Ruby."

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Just try not to fall off," he said, sounding slightly more upbeat. "You've been pretty bad about doing that so far."

"As long as there are no giant monster attacks, I think I'll be fine." she said while sitting down close-but-not- _too_ -close to him. "So, I was gonna ask about… whatever it was you said earlier.

"It's simple really," he said. "You saved my life, so I owe it to you. I just added a bit of flashy, Totomian language to make it official."

"So, it's like a really formal IOU?"

"Pretty much," he replied with a small smile. "If you ever need anything, I'll come running."

Ruby was taken back by the genuine sound in his voice. She was happy he was sounding a bit better, but she wasn't prepared for that kind of a a thank you. The strange, new warmth started to rise in her as she thought about it, mixing with the kind that had been becoming all too common since the strange boy was thrown into her life.

"Oh, yeah?" she said with a smirk. "How fast?"

The boy let out a genuine laugh, something Ruby was more than happy to hear. He still looked down, but at least she'd made a little progress.

"You don't owe me anything," she humbly added. "I just wanted to help. Besides, you saved my life from that weird, white Grimm in the woods. I'd say we're even."

"Fights are different," he responded. "When everyone's in danger, it makes sense to keep everyone alive. This kind of debt is usually used for something a person doesn't want to do. Besides, I wouldn't be here without you. That's the kind of heroism that deserves recognition."

"I just helped the guy I crashed into," she said, hoping her blush wasn't too obvious.

"So, you admit you were the one that hit me."

"We hit each other," she said matter-of-factly, "except in the hallway. That was all you."

"Whatever, Little Speedster."

The two sat there, looking out over the miles of forest in front of them. A cool breeze made waves of leaves sweep across the landscape, though Ruby wasn't focused on the greenery. Despite the… complicated history the two of them had with forests and cliff sides, she felt a strange sense of peace sitting next to the boy. She just wished she knew what was bothering him and how to make it go away.

"Have you ever been here before?" he asked.

"Once," she replied. "We came out here to investigate some weird stuff going on in the forest. There were monsters and science labs and all sorts of crazy stuff happening. We dealt with it though."

"That sounds like quite the story."

"It was pretty cool, but my favorite thing was seeing this view."

"You really like the forest, don't you?"

"It's my favorite place to be." She looked back out at the Emerald Forest, now unable to resist taking the view in. The forest had always been a part of her, from her cabin in the woods to her training grounds, and she always felt at home between the trees.

"It used to be the ocean."

The hooded girl turned her head to the solemn sounding boy with a shocked expression.

"What do you mean?"

"The coastline wasn't up to here," he said, pointing to the horizon, "but you could still see the water in the distance. Selena always dragged us kids out here when she thought the water was perfect. Other than that one time with Zek and the Cthulhu, it was always fun."

"I… I don't understand."

Aero sighed and said something under his breath in his native tongue. He slowly rubbed his thumb over Beta and spoke in a bittersweet tone. Though she didn't understand the words he said, Ruby's silver eyes grew wide when the realization finally came. It was so obvious that she felt a pang of guilt for not realizing, but she wouldn't have known what to say either way.

After all, what do you say to someone in the ruins of their home?

"Ruby," he said softly.

"Yeah?" she said, unsure of what to say.

He turned and looked at her with the most bittersweet smile she'd ever seen.

"Welcome to Totum."

-x-

The sense of foreboding Dunden felt was unlike any he'd felt before. In his life, he'd done things that made him truly afraid, acts that still haunted his nightmares, but the feeling of being in the wrong place had never been so strong before. If Cinder was feeling the same way, she kept it well hidden.

"Are you sure this is the way?" she asked.

"Do you doubt me?"

The girl said nothing as she slowly followed the Totomian into the cavern. It felt nice to be out of the wind and snow, but that didn't make the boy's cold chill go away. The same feeling making him shiver was the same that let him know he was heading in the right direction. He still hoped for some relief though, which surprisingly came in the form of a small flicker of light to his side.

"You looked cold," she said, holding a fireball her hand. She took a step closer to him, and Dunden hoped it was just the fire making him sweat.

Now that he had a moment to think about it, he knew nothing about the woman standing next to him. He stood a bit taller than her, but she seemed a tad older than him, something he almost found funny, given his situation. Still, he knew she was the kind that valued information, making him suspicious of why she had pushed so hard to come with him to the heart of a mountain.

"You know," she said, "Atlas has laws preventing people from coming near this section of the mountain range. The Grimm count in this area is particularly high. We aren't going to run into any big bad monsters, are we?"

As if on cue, a swarm of small Echos swept down from the ceiling and headed straight towards them. The fire in Cinder's hand steadily grew larger, but Dunden waved it down. He reached for Psi and let a violet light fill the cave. The monsters screeched loudly, but flew around the duo, leaving their path open.

"What was that?" she asked, leaving Dunden unsure of what to say. Before he could find an answer, a rumble came from beneath the ground. The boy suspected who he came here to see was likely waking up from a nap. The prince hoped he wouldn't be too cranky.

"The better question is "What was _that_?"

Cinder seemed to let his answer slide for now, but she still gently pried at him as they continued walking through the twisting tunnels. Dunden wasn't worried about finding his way back, but he was beginning to feel the weight the girl could put on him. She sparingly asked him small things, like about his home and family, in a tone that was sweet as honey, yet more terrifying than a Grimm.

He responded by asking her questions about her life, which she brushed aside. For a moment though, when asking about her parents, he saw what may have been the smallest hint of sadness. It was quickly replaced by a feeling of anger, letting Dunden know not to follow that path. Still, he couldn't escape the bit of guilt that grew in his chest. He'd asked something he shouldn't have, but the answer of why that bothered him so greatly was a mystery.

"We're almost there," he said. "This is your last chance to walk away."

"I've seen worse than anything you could show me."

He hesitated for a moment before responding.

"Then you'll have to trust me. Just for a few moments, I need you to do only what I say."

"We'll see" she replied.

 _ **We'll see indeed.**_

They took a few more steps forward when the light from Cinder's fire revealed what looked like a dead end. The path ended in a solid white wall, obviously different from the stone that surrounded them. Dunden glanced to the side and saw Totum's symbol, their winged crest, carved into the rock. He knew he'd made it.

"Don't freak out," he told the girl before shining Psi's light through the cavern. The ground shook as the white wall in front of them, slowly moved aside, revealing what was on the other side. Dunden was terrified as he looked into the giant, burning red eyes before him, but how else does a person feel when standing face to face with the King of Grimm?

 _ **Ziz.**_


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey, guys! I know this is late, but I've been very busy balancing a lot of responsibilities lately. Fortunately, MSSU's finals start soon, and then I can put more time back into writing!... even though I'm taking two summer classes (-_-) Still, I made this chapter longer for all of you, and, trust me, stuff is going down. As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment your thoughts and opinions on the story. All possible story ideas are appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter.**

Amidst the sound of gunfire and blood curdling roars, the young eagle faunus had only one thing on his mind.

 _ **Why does everything have to be two things?**_

The question was bothering Zek, probably a bit more than it should have, especially considering the fact he was being closely followed by one very ticked off Nevermore. The eagle angled his wings back, letting the beast close the distance between them. He smirked a bit as he dove under the Grimm and fired a shot into the crook of its neck. One second later, and the monster fell onto the battlefield with a thud, all while the familiar, addictive rush flowed over the boy.

 _ **See? No gun/swords needed. All it took was a bow and arrow. I mean, I guess that's technically two things, but… there's a difference, okay.**_

Zek looked down and saw the rest of his impromptu team slicing and shooting their way through waves of Grimm. Qrow was obviously leading the charge, but Blake and Weiss were easily holding their own. He was considering diving in to help them out when he saw a white masses making their way to the fight. Pulling a bit of energy from Zeta, the boy gave a warning to the others.

"Grunts incoming at 12 o'clock," he said. He felt the light buzz on his lips as vibrations shot through the air towards the others. They looked around in confusion and Zek slapped himself for forgetting they didn't know.

"Zek?" Qrow shouted. The eagle was barely able to pick up the shout as he raced toward the ground. He dove down to the ground, slamming a Beowolf into the ground as he did so, and drew another arrow.

"Were you just in my head?" asked Weiss.

"No," he responded, "but our furry friends are about thirty seconds from reaching here, and they do not look happy."

"We can take them," said the white haired girl.

"We weren't able to last time," Blake argued. "Not on our own at least."

"That's where I come in. You kids just sit back and let me work." The older Huntsman folded up his shotgun into a single-bladed greatsword. Zek had to admit it looked much cooler than Acrose's blade, but he pushed the thought of the Captain out of his head. If he thought of him, he'd think about Selena, and that'd make him…

 _ **And, now I'm sad. Come on, Zek. Pull it together!**_

Zek was pulled out his thoughts as the small squad of rank-and-file troops came at them. Qrow dashed towards the rhino in front with a smirk on his face. He slid beneath the faunus, tripping him in the process, and met swords with two more grunts. A few flanked around and ran at the teenagers. It was in moments like these that Zek regretted his lack of relative lack close quarter combat training, but, after tucking his wings in close, he still found dodging around their attacks almost too easy.

"Traitor!" one shouted as he swung his sword at Zek's head.

"Look," he said as he ducked below the blade, "I get that you guys are a little mad about the whole "betraying" you thing, but I'm too disappointed that you don't have a spinning stun baton to care."

"You should care. Today, we're bagging two traitors, a Huntsman, and a Schnee. Adam will reward us grea-ahh!" A sharp, smacking sound rang as Zek slammed his bow against the grunts face, knocking him out cold.

"Sorry, I was getting bored." He ducked beneath a barrage of bullets and slammed the attacker into a tree with a gust of wind. The force from his wings knocked him back in Blake's direction. He flung himself into the cat faunus' opponent, thankful he didn't find a sword lodged in his back.

"Have you ever noticed only criminals and military guys have guns?" he asked her. "Like, _just_ guns?"

"I think we have more important things to deal with right now," she said as she readied her swords.

"Probably. I don't think they like deserters very much."

Blake let out a small humph as she smirked.

"Tell me about it."

-x-

"We're almost there."

Doctor Oobleck lead the group as they made their way deeper and deeper into the cavern system, his thermos lit up like a torch. From what he'd told them, the ruins they were entering were some of the oldest known to man or faunus. This was supposedly were the double-axe symbol of Vale came from, but Ruby knew the markings on the walls were more important than for just inspiring a fancy flag.

The scythe wielder looked sideways to see Aero with his eyes dead set forward. The boy had explained his situation to them, about walking in the ruins of his home, but hadn't done much more than confirm they had entered Totum. Still, it was hard to celebrate their discovery. Even Oobleck was unusually quiet, most likely realizing the boy would rather not talk about what he was seeing.

"Ruby," said Taiyang.

"Yeah, Dad?"

He motioned for them to take a few steps back from the group, so Ruby slowed her pace to put some space between them.

"What is it?"

"Well," he said softly, trying his best not to cause an echo, "I've been thinking. I've talked to Yang a bit about it, and I've decided to take on a few extra missions this summer."

Ruby's eyes widened at the news. She couldn't remember the last time her father decided to do some real Huntsman work.

"Really?" she asked in an excited whisper. "I mean, are you sure? You may have gotten a bit rusty. And you might want to cut your hair again."

"Haven't you started growing yours out too?" he said with a smirk. "Besides, I think I proved I've still got it. I've got six hungry teenagers living under my roof, after all. How else am I supposed to afford all of you?"

"We could always make Weiss pay," she said with an overly innocent smile.

"Hmm, not a bad idea."

They lightly laughed at the thought of making their rich-girl houseguest pay a _little_ extra rent, but, more than that, Ruby was just happy to be spending time with her father. They'd had almost no time together since she left for Beacon and she was looking forward to catching up during their break. That is, until a little thought entered her head.

"I guess we may not see each other much then." Her head and voice drooped down at the thought of not seeing her father. She expected him to act the same way, so it surprised her a bit to hear a sigh of relief escape his lips.

"Oh, that is a load off," he said with a content smile.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion. "Don't you want to see us?"

"Of course I do," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I can just hear it in your voice."

"Okay, then." Despite not knowing why her father was happy with her response, she was still happy for him. The hooded girl leaned in close and noticed the rest of their group making glances back at them, all of them wearing small smiles on their faces. Ruby's own face turned a deep red as she felt the embarrassment wash over her. Her father laughed a bit and removed his arm, something the silver eyed girl was a bit disappointed with.

Their walk continued deeper and deeper into the earth, making it harder to breathe with every step they took. While they weren't going to suffocate, the lack of oxygen made Ruby wonder just how down they were heading. Some parts of the cave were filled with sculpted stone while others seemed untouched by humans. She also noticed a suspicious lack of Grimm, though she couldn't shake the feeling they were hiding somewhere in the shadows. Despite her lack of understanding, the girl guessed Beta may have had something to do with the monster shortage.

"Here we are," Oobleck announced. As the ground they walked on gradually turned to brick, As the ground they walked gradually turned to brick, Ruby looked ahead to see a large wall with a pair of what looked like axes engraved into the stone. Though excited they had reached their destination, the young girl couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed by how simple the image was.

Whereas Vale's current symbol was carefully and artistically drawn, the picture on the wall seemed lacking in both those areas. There were no curves or detailed patterns to be seen. The only thing that interested her, although not as much as the Professor or Aero, were the small, dashed markings between the axes handles.

"This structure is widely believed to be amongst the oldest, manmade markings found in our entire kingdom," said Oobleck. "Generations of archaeologists have visited this place on what could be called pilgrimages, hoping to find the significance this place had to our ancestors, though none have been successful. Aero, are these markings truly Totomian?"

"Yes," the boy replied, running his hand across the text. He whispered something else under his breath, but it was impossible for Ruby to understand his language. His tone, however, let her know he was confused by something.

"So," said Yang, "what's it say."

"For the people of Koiláda," he responded, "whose love and laughter should not fail. May they always have the breath of life. That's all it says."

"Koilwhata?" asked Ruby.

"It's the region we're in," Aero said as he examined the text closely. "I guess "Vale" would have been the best way to do the translation."

"So, we basically came all this way for some weird poem?" said Yang.

"I'm afraid I have to share in that disappointment," Oobleck added. "As excited as I am for today's discoveries, I had hoped we would have found more clues as to what caused Totum to have been so utterly destroyed."

The prince silently stood up from his crouched position and grabbed the stone around his necklace.

"Aero?" Ruby asked, knowing something was going on inside his head.

"The breath of life," he repeated to himself, almost as if no one else were there. The boy closed his eyes as his body was encompassed in a silver glow. Ruby watched as he laid his hand on the text and released a small pulse of energy that bounced along the cave walls. Strangely enough, the hooded girl could have sworn she smelled fresh air as the light passed beneath her.

"That's… that's not possible," he continued once the light had dissipated.

"What are you…?" Yang didn't get the chance to finish her question as Aero quickly walked past her, drawing his sword as he did so. He felt around the brick lined floor and drove his weapon into the ground, causing a metal-on-metal clang to echo around them. Ruby could see the strain grow on his face as his swords began to dimly glow in distinct shades of green and chrome-orange, the former matching the color of Zeta perfectly.

Everyone jumped back a bit as the light traveled beneath the stone floor in the direction of the wall image in straight lines before darting in different directions. It was silent for a moment, no one daring to move, when the wall began to sink into the earth. Once the rumbling was finally over, a green light shined throughout the cave as the orange returned back through the ground and into Aero's blade. What looked like a temple room filled with emerald-hued Dust crystals and a silver box on a pedestal opened up before them, leaving everyone with wide eyes.

"Aero," Ruby asked, breaking the silence, "what did you just do?"

The boy didn't turn to face her. Instead, he looked down at his blade for a moment and stared into the hidden room.

"Quinn?"

-x-

Blood red eyes looked down at the Totomian prince, a new, yet familiar feeling of dread washing over him. If he was being honest with himself, part of Dunden wished he was wrong for believing the one-horned beast could still be alive after all this time. Still, he needed knowledge and a keeper, and he suspected no other being on the planet could comprehend his need. He just wished it wouldn't cost him too greatly.

Gulping down his fear, the violet-eyed boy walked into the massive cavern. He looked back for a moment to see Cinder standing in the archway, her eyes wide and staring at the ghostly-white giant before them. She did not follow him, and he did not blame her.

 _Totomian._

Dunden could not describe the feeling as Ziz's voice almost silently whispered its way into his head. Though he had had similar experiences before, no Deathworm or even Fractal could compare to the haunting growl of the giant Drake. No real words were verbally spoken, but, through the cold stone in his hand, Dunden could feel exactly what the ancient monster had to say.

"You know me?" the boy asked.

 _Of course I do, Shadowchild. I have felt you since you first thought to turn to me for aid. I must admit, even I am surprised to see another of your kind after so long. The few mortals who have made their way to the heart of my mountain have been… disappointing, to say the least._

"What do you mean?"

 _It has been centuries since human or faunus has dared enter my territory, and longer still since any have been able to remain standing in my presence. Each died either running in fear or paralyzed on their knees, and, unlike most of my kind, I do not enjoy the taste of cold blood._

The boy gripped Psi closely, trying to cover up the fear he knew Ziz would sense. If what Rize had told him was true, Ziz was from a different breed of Grimm, a kind of monster with cunning and in full knowledge of his power. His shadow had been cast over humanity for eons, and he would surely know how to unlock the secret Dunden needed.

"Ziz," he finally spoke, "I have come to have you…"

 _Do_ not _make demands of me, boy,_ Ziz said in a low tone that chilled Dunden's blood. The boy almost caved in from the fear, but he held his expression fast. He had to pass the monster's test.

 _I have waited for millennia to see the next great shift in this world,_ he continued. _Do not make me indulge my deeper instincts. I will have no mercy on you, even if the blood in your veins once dripped atop my head. The fact would only make you taste sweeter._

The monster lowered its head and looked deep into the prince's eyes. In his reflection, Dunden could see flashes of his life fly quickly in front of him, highlighting the times he'd been afraid, and the times he'd doubted his brother. After a while, those memories seemed to merge into one. He was pulled out of the surreal experience by what may have been the most horrific sound he'd ever heard. A screeching, crackling sound reverberated around him as Ziz rose his head up once more.

The King of Grimm was laughing.

 _I see you are no Son of Egil, though only a single generation separates you. Perhaps, I should offer you my services._

Dunden had mixed emotions at the thought of his plan (if one could even call it that) actually succeeding. Ziz's help would be crucial, but he knew too much from only one, short meeting. Even the fact that Egil's time was thousands of years in the past did not seem to phase the monster in the slightest.

"I am Dunden, Son of Halos, bearer of the Shard Psi." The prince rose his Shard upwards, causing Ziz's eyes to widen. "I wield my grandfather Egil's power. **You** _ **will**_ **obey me."**

The monster was utterly silent for a moment, thinking about Dunden's claim of authority. To keep his desperate feeling at bay, the boy drew power from Psi and let his violet light fill the room. The disappearance of the warmth on his back let him know Cinder had extinguished her fire and had moved closer to him. Her presence only increased his fear of what could go wrong should Ziz decide he wasn't worthy.

 _Cursed grandson_ , the monster finally growled, _do you not feel the witch's taint?_

"All I feel is the need to restore my kingdom," he responded, not letting monster sway his thoughts.

 _Very well. I can see you know nothing, not of the Grimm, not of your heritage, and certainly not of the Shards, but I will offer you this: a way to face your twin in a world that will destroy you._

"Tell me, then."

 _You are lucky the Grimm crave destruction, and even more so that I have lived long enough to know its many paths. Otherwise, your doom would lose the potential it even now builds. I have seen into your fears, the one's you dare not face yourself, and we both know your failure's in this age could cost you dearly._

Dunden gritted the teeth in his closed mouth, knowing full well what the Grimm meant.

 _The only way you will be free to walk in the new kingdoms of man will be to erase what you have done from the minds of those you've faced and foolishly allowed to escape your sword. Once we have completed your second chance, I will safeguard the sacred stone you've brought before me until its siblings are ready to be reunited, per your request, Shadowchild._

"You had best be telling the truth, Ziz," he said after hesitating. "If not, I will gladly take your other horn."

 _I assure you, cursed grandson, I am honest and able. You would be surprised how much more damage than a lie the truth can do. It seeps with a poison only reality can bring. If you are ready to begin, look once more into my eyes, and I will begin to show you the ways of the Omega._

-x-

 _Who's Quinn?_

Ruby thought this question as Aero began to walk into the hidden room. The colossal crystals darting out from every corner filled the space with it's emerald light. The group, no longer needing, the light of Ooblecks fire, followed Aero as he walked beyond the door. Ruby was in awe of crystalline structures that lit the room like stars, so much so that she almost didn't notice the Totomian walk directly towards the cube-like artifact in the room's center.

"It's so beautiful," said Yang. "Have any of you seen anything like this before?"

"I've seen plenty of sights in my day, Yang," her father said, "but I've never seen anything like this. I wonder what Weiss' family would think if they found a Dust vein like this."

"This is truly remarkable. Just think, such a discovery has been sitting right under our noses for millennia. What do you know about this place, my boy?"

Aero didn't respond to the Doctor's question. Instead, he continued walking up to the raised pedestal and the cube. Raised up a few steps on an elevated platform, Ruby could now see the artifact was covered in the same dashed text as the wall. Whatever the thing was, the boy was focusing on nothing else.

"Aero?" the hooded girl asked, trying to get his attention.

Still, the boy slowly walked forward, now muttering words in his native tongue, possibly reading aloud whatever was written on the cube. When he finally climbed the steps and reached his destination, he circled the artifact once before trying lift it. He strained for a moment, unable to lift it, before drawing one of his blades, now casting the same orange light as before. Tapping the weapon against the cube, lines began to glow as sections of the object turned an unfolded with the sounds of gears and locks, followed by a sickly green glow shining on Aero's terrified face.

"This doesn't make any sense," the boy said, his eyes wide in shock. Ruby jogged up to the boy, hoping to find out what was scaring him so much. She had almost reached him before he reached out and grabbed whatever was in front of him. In his raised hand was a transparent, purple gem with what looked like a floating, green core. The girl had no time to think about what she was looking at before Aero cried out in pain as Beta began to glow and a bolt of electricity coiled around the boy's arm.

-x-

Though extremely hesitant, Dunden readied himself and once more looked into the dragon's blood-red eyes. He knew full well Ziz could've simply swallowed him whole had he wished, a fact the prince was trying to suppress. In spite of his fear, he allowed the cold feeling to wash over him, a sensation he hoped he would never have to feel again.

 _Feel this presence,_ Ziz whispered to him. _This is fear. This is rage. This is the very essence of mankind's folly. Feel this shadow, and know it exists in the hearts of every man, woman, and child. Search for those who have seen you in the light, and cast the memory into the darkness._

Psi seemed to react to the Drake's words faster than Dunden himself did. The Shard let out wave after wave of burning energy, each washing over both the boy and Ziz. Dunden could feel what the ancient beast meant, and turned his thoughts to those who had seen his face. The soldiers, the machine, and Ironwood himself. He could see them all, despite the distance, and felt the tug of the Omega in each of them.

 _Now, show me you are of Egil's blood. Alter the mind's of men, as he once did. If you are meant to be his heir, prove it now!_

Dunden verbally screamed from the stain on his body. He felt a hand on his shoulder as he dropped to his knees, but he couldn't focus on that. He could see the faces of his targets. He could feel their pain as they grabbed their heads in agony. He thought of Egil's true heir, the one who trained him to do such things, and plastered his face on the minds of those he was too weak to kill.

 _ **Rize!**_

And then, nothing. The feeling of the Grimm was gone. In it's place, Dunden felt a cool sensation wash over him, like waves of water on the beach. He looked up to see a familiar face in front of him, a light blue shimmer dancing across her silver eyes.

 **"S-Summer?"**

-x-

Blake did not enjoy fighting the White Fang. To her, they were more than just a group of misguided faunus. For years, they had been family, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt anyone Adam had deceived.

Still, she was thankful they went down faster than a glass of cold milk.

"We came all this way and Alex and Mary couldn't be bothered to stick around," Zek said. "Typical."

"Who the heck are you talking about?" asked Weiss.

"Candlewick and the ice cream lollipop."

"Huh?"

"I'm pretty sure he means Roman and his henchman," Blake added. "It looks like they took off before we got here."

Out of all the unconscious bodies littering the forest, Roman Torchwick was not one of them, and there weren't many places to hide. The entirety of the camp only consisted of a few tents tucked into the woods. Zek had done several flybys and confirmed they weren't anywhere in the area. Blake suspected they were probably somewhere back in Vale, which means they were back to square one.

"Well," said Weiss, "at least we've got a few more White Fang members to put behind bars."

"I've already contacted Oz," added Qrow. "He'll have some airships brought in to escort our new friends back to the city. I hope I didn't knock them out too hard. We could use a little interrogation."

"You were pretty awesome in my opinion," said Zek. "I guess Summer wasn't lying when she talked about you."

"Oh, and what did she tell you? That I was devilishly handsome and charming?"

"No," he responded. "It was mostly that you were a pervert and you always tried to sneak alcohol into your dorm room, with varying degrees of success. I'm still impressed though."

"I like you, kid," the Huntsman said with a smirk. "I'm gonna search around a bit in the main tent. Maybe they left something important behind."

The cat faunus was still thinking about the thought of imprisoning the grunts. After all, it's hard to fight a group where you were once a member. She turned to look at Zek, and, based on his expression, he was having similar thoughts.

"You know," said the eagle, "this was the first mission for most of them. Maybe it isn't right to just put them away for a one time offense."

"That "one time offense" involved joining up with terrorists," argued Weiss. "You and Blake may have turned out alright, but most of them probably want humanity gone."

Blake wanted more than anything to lash out at the heiress for her words, but she had to admit Weiss had a point. As much as she hated to admit it, the White Fang wanted nothing short of driving all humans into faunus submission, if not something much worse. They were criminals and deserved justice, but she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"I'm just saying, Snow," said Zek, "humanity has done some pretty terrible things."

Something in the boy's tone worried Blake. His goofy demeanor couldn't hide the fact Zek had at least one thing against humans. She herself started to wonder what life like for faunus in his time, but now she felt the tension in the air needed to be dealt with.

"So," said the catgirl, "Roman's henchman's name is Mary?"

"No, but she has an umbrella, sooo…"

Zek immediately turned in the direction their friends had gone in, his pupils growing small in fear. Blake had no idea what caused this until she felt the air grow heavy and a sick feeling enter her lungs. She had to fight back the urge to vomit, and it looked like Weiss was feeling the same way.

"Wha…" she tried to say. "What's…"

Before she could form a full sentence, Zek had taken off at a blinding speed, leaving a massive gust of wind in his wake, the force being enough to knock the two Huntresses-in-training to the ground. They watched as the boy disappeared into the distance and wondered what had set him off.

-x-

"Ahhhh!" he screamed, dropping the crystal as he fell to his knees. Ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach, Ruby dashed up the steps to where he was now curled up on his side.

"Aero!" she said, hesitant to touch him because of the jolts of electricity sporadically jumping all over him. The boy lurched painfully on the ground, desperately trying to reach Beta, but his limbs kept swinging to the side. Ruby noticed fought against his struggle until the stone was firmly in the prince's hand. His breathing slowly dropped back down, giving the hooded girl a sense of relief, until a large cracking sound echoed throughout the room.

Ruby looked forward to see three of the larger crystals in the room had burst open revealing the writhing masses inside. They looked vaguely human, but the way they crawled through the crystal with purple claws let the girl know whatever they were wasn't human. It only took a few moments before all three stood up outside their broken prisons, thrashing their crystal covered tails and staring at her with black, soulless eyes.

The girl tried to move for her weapon, but her limbs were frozen in fear. Aero was still regaining his composure and she couldn't even turn around to see the others' responses. All this happened while a shadowy figure shimmered into existence in front of her. Without thinking, she slowly raised her eyes to see a nearly-transparent man with black hair and violet eyes staring down at her.

"Well, aren't you a cute little girl?" he said with smile. "I could just eat you up."


	35. Chapter 35

**Hey, guys! Finals are over and Summer has officially begun! Hopefully now I'll have time to actually write these things a bit quicker and longer than I have been. Also, I'm just gonna throw out that RWBY Chibi is worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet. It hasn't made up for Vol. 3's... unfortunate events, but between Chibi and RvB, I can't stop laughing. As always, be sure to follow, favorite, and comment your thoughts and opinions on the story. If you have story ideas, I'm always listening. Enjoy the next chapter!**

"S-Summer?"

"Dunden?"

The boy was at a complete loss of words. One moment he was staring into the eyes of a giant, demon dragon, forcefully changing memories of people with a magic stone, and the next the next thing he knew he was staring into the silver eyes of his time-traveling caretaker, who held a similar stone in her hands. The boy was no stranger to weird situations, but this was definitely a new one.

"Take this," she said quickly, forcing the sapphire-hued ring into the boy's hands, a bolt of electricity shooting up his arm as she did so. "Take this and…"

The woman stopped for a moment to look down at Psi while a confused look spread across her face. She looked behind her for a moment and saw the massive eyes of Ziz staring her down. The monster growled angrily and lunged at them both with his fangs, but was stopped by a silver flash. Ziz moved backwards, causing the whole mountain to shake, making shrieks of pain and shock.

"What?!" shouted a voice behind the boy. In the moment, Dunden had completely forgotten Cinder was even there. If it weren't for his own awe and confusion, he would have worried a bit more about how he was going to even start to explain what she'd seen.

"Dunden, look at me."

The Totomian did as he was told and looked straight at Summer. Her face had an intensity he had rarely seen in his life, only made more intense by the fact her eyes were glowing with a distinct, silver light, something he'd never seen before.

 **"Take Delta,"** she said. **"Take it and get to Aero as soon possible. There isn't enough time. He'll get out if I..."**

The Huntress was cut off by the roar that threatened to shatter his ear drums. Ziz was beyond angry at this point. Dunden didn't even need Psi to know what the horrifying sound meant. Sometimes, a roar is just a roar.

"Go!"

Before the prince could react, Summer's eyes lit up with the same brilliant light as she shimmered out of existence. It wasn't a moment later that Dunden was right back where he started, looking into the eyes of a Grimm and fearing for his life, only now with a light-blue shine dancing against the violet.

 _Shadowchild,_ Ziz growled in a new terrifying, yet strained way, _leave this place._

Dunden couldn't even respond to Ziz's thoughts. His own were far too chaotic.

 _My body… my body needs rest. How is possible one of_ them _could come here? Why the stone? Where did it come from?!"_

The monster's anger was growing greater and greater as he spoke. Dunden considered turning and running, but he still needed Ziz to take his Shard. Another sharp jolt of shocking pain coursed up his arms as he thought about the stones, making it to where he struggled to even raise his arm to remind the monster why he had come.

 _Ziz, take this Shard of the Omega. You said you would._

 _Throw it then! Release it yourself!_

The Drake edged itself further and further back into his cavern. Dunden considered that the monster was testing him, but the blue light shining across his face let the boy know that likely wasn't the only reason. He readied himself to chuck Psi, hoping it was really the right choice, when he felt a tug in the back of his mind, reminding him of Rize's lessons about Omega. It was power, a kind of power mankind knew but didn't understand. The more he thought about those lessons, the harder it was to let them go.

 _Do it, Shadowchild, or I will kill you!"_

A surge of cool energy made it's way out of Delta, giving Dunden the last bit of energy he needed to let Psi into the air. He nearly collapsed as he did so, but remained up enough to see the Shard strike Ziz between the eyes, a violet light bursting from the stone as it met the white scales. A strange relief washed over the boy, though a new, unknown stress weighed on his body.

 _Are you truly her…?_

Dunden couldn't hear the end of the monster's thoughts. The power he used for his translations was gone, floating eerily in front of Ziz, his eyes focusing intently on the crystal. The boy feared what the glow from the Shard meant, but the swiftly turning eyes that turned to him let him know it would be wise to run.

"Run. Now."

Cinder, surprisingly, listened to Dunden's instruction and quickly made their way back to the tunnel entrance. Delta cast enough light for them to see, and, before he even realized, the prince was in a dead sprint, remembering every turn in an adrenaline filled rush. The thud sounds behind him let him know the girl was keeping up with him, something that impressed him, as well as something that made him glad she wasn't still wearing glass shoes.

"What…?" she said between gasps for air, "... was that?"

Dunden didn't answer her immediately. Aside from the pressure of deciding what to say and how to say it, he was more concerned with exiting the mountain as soon as possible. The moment he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, he realized just how terrified he had been. Cold wind and a glistening sunrise met him at the cave's entrance, and he hoped the sweat and steam coming off of him masked the few tears of relief in his eyes.

"That was a Drake," Cinder said. "And...and that woman… she was… all that was..."

"I thought you were used to crazy things," the boy said, loving the sensation of wind and snow against his face. Waves of energy radiated from Delta, making the cold all the more enjoyable. The only thing that took him out of his winter wonderland were the pair of blazing amber eyes in front of him.

"Who are you? Really?"

Dunden thought about it for a moment before giving his answer.

"I am Dunden, Son of Halos and a Prince of Totum," he said, looking down at Delta, "and I would be grateful if we went to see my brother now. Maybe what I'm about to tell you will make more sense then."

-x-

 _ **Why… why are you here?**_

Aero could barely move as the bolts of lightning arced around his huddled body. His muscled felt like they were vibrating and his skin burned in the heat of furnace. None of that mattered to him, however. The only thing he could think about was the person who was now standing over him and Ruby.

 _ **Risse?**_

"Well, aren't you a cute little girl?" he said with smile. "I could just eat you up."

"Who...who are you?" Ruby said, her voice trembling. "What are those things? What's going on?"

Aero watched as his brother kneeled down closer to him, he flickering, transparent form offering glimpses of the monsters staring at them. The boy had heard about people's hearts giving out on them before, but the beating drum in his chest made the stories all too real. His nightmares weren't even close to capturing the crystal covered bodies of the corpses, and the tail structures let Aero know these were no newborns. They were fully developed Fractals, Egil's perfect abominations.

 **"I'm not surprised you found her family, little brother, though I do wonder what you've told them about me."** The violet-eyed man glanced down at Aero's pained face before looking closely at the girl holding onto his twitching body.

"My name is Rize. You're Ruby, aren't you?" he said, causing the girl's eyes to widen.

"How did you know that?"

"You have silver eyes," he responded, "and you look so much like her. My little brother here must have been awestruck when he first met you, unless it after…"

Aero watched as his brother lurched back in pain, a blast of light coming seemingly out of nowhere. The man dropped to his knees, cursing under his breath, and clenched his hands around the swords at his side. Aero tried to move toward him, but his movement wasn't returning fast enough.

 **"Damn them,"** Risse said before turning to look at the Fractals. **"Don't you dare die here, Aero, or else."**

 **"Or else what?"** he shouted in desperation. **"Risse, what's going on?!"**

 **"I thought I told you. Don't use that name."**

With that, the swordsman flickered out of existence, his shadow replaced with the sound of thousand panes of glass shattering all at once.

"Ahh!" the group shouted as they covered their ears. Aero was barely able to raise his head up enough to see the monsters finish their ear-piercing shriek and charge toward them. The boy knew his head would've been taken clean off if Ruby hadn't dashed the two of them away at the last moment.

"Can you move?" she asked, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Barely," he answered weakly. "We have to leave now. We can't fi-Get out of there!"

Taiyang, Oobleck, and Yang had all darted forward to meet the Fractals. Their weapons were ready for a fight, but Aero knew they didn't stand a chance. Those weapons weren't going to kill them and they didn't have enough aura to survive for long themselves. Despite his cry, the fighters met the monsters head on, something Aero prayed they wouldn't pay too much for.

Yang was the first to meet her opponent, knocking it out of the air as it leaped forward. The beast crashed into the back wall of the temple, the impact knocking chunks of dust off the ceiling. Ruby and Aero would have been crushed by the emerald stones if Taiyang hadn't shattered it into small enough pieces and shield them with his metallic claws.

"How do we fight these things, Aero?" the Huntsman asked.

"You can't," he replied, now barely able to raise himself up on his elbows. "We have to run."

Taiyang looked over to see Yang and Oobleck trying to hold their own. The doctor tried to keep them away with bursts of fire, but the monster's brushed off the flames like they were nothing. Yang was having a slightly better time, nimbly dodging the beast's deadlier strikes, though her arms were bleeding a bit from from the stray scratches. The Fractals were moving slower than Aero remembered, probably from being trapped in the Dust, but the boy suspected they wouldn't stay sluggish for long.

"Not an option," said Taiyang as he turned back to the fight.

"Wait!" Aero shouted, remembering the one chance they had. "Take my swords!"

The man didn't turn back as he charged at the monster his daughter was fighting with a burning rage in his eyes. Yang had been knocked to the ground and was seconds from being crushed under foot when the Huntsman pushed his claws as deep into the violet monster as he could, a smirk visible on his face even from Aero's distance.

"How do you like that, you… you…?" The monster glared at the blonde Huntsman for a moment, the attack barely making the smallest crack in the crystal armor. He didn't have time to react before the beast's tail wrapped around his leg, swung him in a circle, and crashed him down on the ground next to his daughter, a crack sounding as his body hit the stone.

"Ahh! My leg!"

"Dad!" shouted Ruby.

"Ruby, take…!"

But the girl made the same mistake as her father. She readied Crescent Rose and fired a few quick shots, impressively knocking the Fractals back a bit, but not enough to get them away from the wounded Huntsman. Oobleck had grabbed Taiyang and started to move him back toward the entrance, leaving Yang to fight on her own. The hooded girl dashed forward in a rose-covered blur, leaving the barely moving boy propped against the wall.

 _ **Why do none of you ever listen?!**_

The prince struggled to get off his knees and stand while listening to the clangs of metal echo through the air. As angry as he was at them for not listening to him, Aero had to admit the girls were a sight to behold. Flashes of red and yellow continually beat back the Fractals with a strength the Totomian didn't think was possible with a Shard. For a brief moment, he thought they may have even had a chance to…

"Take this!" he heard Ruby shout. She had flipped and landed her scythe over one the monsters necks, smirking in the same way as her father. If the attack worked, the Fractal would have been beheaded in an instant, but the gunshot she fired wasn't followed by a pained shriek. Instead, the sound of shattered metal filled their ears and shards of the broken blade filled the floor. Her weapon had broken, and Aero knew the what would happen next. To stand beneath Egil's creations meant only one thing, and he was to shocked by the speed of it all to even call out her name.

 _ **No. She…**_

Schwaff!

Amidst the echoes around him, Aero heard the sound of something flying through the air. The Fractal standing in front of Ruby was lurched back a moment later, an arrow covered in a green light sticking out of its chest. The monster started to slowly rise up from the ground as the emerald aura spread across its body, followed by a black blur flying into the room that drove the arrow further in the mid-air creature with solid kick.

"I can't leave you guys alone for five minutes, can I?" the eagle faunus asked, pushing himself back in Aero's directions with a gust of air. **"Can you move? These tips aren't exactly adamantine."**

" **I'm getting there,"** the boy responded as he forced himself to his feet. **"It feels like my muscles are on fire, but get them out first."**

" **On it."**

Aero forced his legs to shuffle forward while Zek fired shot after shot at the creatures. Yang helped by firing explosive rounds, but Ruby looked like she may have forgotten the fight was even happening. She stared at the shattered blade and bent barrel of the weapon with wide, sad eyes. Part of him wanted to shout at her for caring so much about something that could be replaced, but a stronger part of him was focusing on the piercing shrieks of the Fractals as they made their way toward the girl. The one Zek had lodged an arrow in was close to falling, but it looked determined to get at least one kill in before being finished off.

 _No…_ _ **I'll kill you all…**_

The world began to appear in flashes as Aero darted toward the creature, almost like he was watching his own body move without him. Through his violet-tinted vision, he made out bolts of electricity arc out of his blades as he drove them into their torsos and drove them into the ground. The last of them laid flat against the stone, trying to stand with the prince's foot on its throat, something he didn't remember ever planting. All he felt was anger and confusion as he mercilessly drove his blade into the monster's chest. A few moments passed before his vision returned to normal and he collapsed onto his knees, overlooking the purple Shard beneath the metal cube.

 _ **Quinn,**_ he thought, feeling the aura in his blades, _ **what happened?**_


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey, guys! Writer's block... it isn't fun, but I'm sure most of you know that already. Anyway, summer is off to a good start, my online classes aren't totally overwhelming yet, and it's nice to have a bit of time off. If my brain would just start working during this time, that would be great. As always, be sure to follow, favorite, and comment thoughts and reviews for the story. Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Only at the break of dawn would the King of Totum call his land "quiet." His city was almost constantly filled with the sounds of his citizens bustling to and fro, while the land itself faced daily threats from within and without. Perhaps it was due to the previous night's festivities, but the aged man was happy to see the world could afford at least a moment of sleepiness.

"My king," came a voice from behind him. Halos turned around to his dark skinned captain bowing before him. In his moment of tranquility, the king somehow didn't notice the man enter his throne room.

"Good morning, Acrose," Halos said with a nod. "I was hoping you would at least take an extra hour of sleep. Won't Selena miss you when she wakes up?"

"If she isn't moving, she's sleeping," the armored man said. "She'll probably sleep past noon, just like she always does on these days."

"Perhaps you should take a page from her book," the king said with a small laugh.

"There's too much to be done for idleness, my lord. Many of our visitors will begin their journeys home today and my men and I need to oversee such a mass movement."

"Most of them will be enjoying their rest, my friend, as you should too. You've always had a passion that keeps you awake, but there isn't anything wrong with a bit of idleness."

"Forgive me if I disagree."

"You are pardoned."

The king held back a laugh at the disgruntled look on the guard captain's face. The man certainly wasn't his cohort, with him being only a few years older than Risse, but Halos still considered the warrior a dear friend, one who could be teased when it was funny. Acrose had never been one to simply relax, and the king knew just how much it annoyed him for it to be pointed out.

"So," Halos said, "where has Dunden gone off too? If I recall, he still had a session this morning."

"He did," Acrose said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Summer was spectating when… Prince Risse showed up… and…"

"They were at each other's throats?"

"Per the usual," the replied.

Halos sighed at the thought of Summer and Risse's feud. Even he, one with the whole authority of the courts, would hate to oversee their resolution. It was a matter that no one but no one wanted to be involved in, and one to be avoided if at all possible.

"After their spat," Acrose continued, "the princes left to meet some dignitaries from Ánemos, while Summer went off to who knows where. That woman never seems to follow rhyme or reason."

"This coming from the person who married Selena."

"It's different with her," Acrose said with the faintest red on his face. "She's like the sea, beyond any real control. Summer is just… strange."

"Our lives will always be strange, my friend. You yourself wear a Shard, so you must realize that."

"But you gave Beta to Prince Aero," Acrose said in a low tone. "Why?"

Halos was a bit shocked at the captain's sudden question, but he was not surprised it was eventually asked. He turned away from him with a low expression and looked out a window to see there was still some darkness in the western sky. The king reached up to his necklace and lowered his remaining hand when he realized his necklace was no longer there.

"I am sorry, my king," Acrose said quickly, kneeling down on one knee. "I spoke out of turn."

"It is fine, Acrose," the king responded. "I'm sure all are curious."

"I'm sure of the same," he replied. "You have given the Shards to… strange choices before. I trust you, my king, enough to not question many of your judgements, but… may I speak freely?"

"You may."

"I must ask," he said softly, "why not give the Beta to Risse?"

Halos once more fell silent. He had more than a few reasons why Aero would be the one to wear Beta. It was not an easy decision to make, and it was one he prayed would never come back to harm them. His concern was for the safety of the world, and this was the best, and hardest, choice he could make.

"There are several reasons, Acrose," he finally said. "Risse… he isn't able to use the stone properly, or at least not with control he should. I fear my father's influence spread to far over him, or maybe he simply isn't meant too."

"Can we…?"

"Can we trust him?" Halos said, looking back to see Acrose nodding.

"I don't mean to make accusations."

"I know," he replied, "but I ask you continue to have faith in me. Risse will do what is right when he needs too. He is her son, after all."

 _Ebony._

"It may be wise," the king continued, "to put the same trust in your own son."

Acrose remained silent, something the old king feared would happen. No one understood unexpected arrivals more than he did, and he hoped the captain would one day find his own means of acceptance.

"If you'll excuse me," the man said in a serious tone, "I must attend to my duties."

Halos waved his hand, signaling the man was excused. Acrose bowed to his king and silently made his way towards the door. The king nearly spoke up again, but decided to let the captain be. There would always be conflict in Totum, both from within and without. Looking out to the full moon raised above the western sky, the King of Totum waited once more for a day of peace and quiet.

-x-

"What's this word say?" asked Zek, leaning over in his waiting room seat with a book in hand.

"One," answered Oobleck, glancing away from his own magazine.

"And this one?"

"Two."

"And this one?"

"Red."

"And this one?"

"Blue"

"Aaannndd this one."

"Fish."

"Thank you."

 **"Don't we have more important things than reading a children's book?"** Aero said halfheartedly.

 **"That depends,"** his friend replied, **"does openly discussing the sheer amount of Behemoth sized waste we just stepped in in a crowded hospital room sound like a good idea?"**

The prince stared at the obligated-by-hospital-rules-to-wear-a-shirt faunus, his expression letting him know he wanted a serious answer. Despite their friendship and Aero's own… understanding of Zek's brand of coping, the boy wished his friend would allow him this one thing.

Seemingly in response to the boy's glare, Zek put the book down with the rest of the reading materials and gestured for them to leave the room. Aero rose from his chair and followed the black-haired boy into the hallway. He turned around as he left to see the trailing eyes of Blake, Weiss, and Oobleck on them, but none of them said a word and went back to waiting for word on their teammate's father.

"Well," Zek said after walking a bit, "since I don't even know where to properly start with this, let's just go with Tau."

"Tau?"

"You felt it, right?" the faunus asked. "I mean, obviously you literally did feel it, but you know what I mean. That Shard and Zeta… I can't even describe it. The second you unlocked that box I felt like I was getting kicked in the soul. How is that even a feeling?"

"I don't know, but I understand. It was from the Omega, that's for sure, but it doesn't make any sense. None of it."

Aero slid down the wall to the floor and put his head between his knees, desperately trying to process what he'd seen in the ruins. What little remained of his city was either in ruins or buried in the earth, all while things from his nightmares were sleeping beneath it all. Between Ris… _Rize_ showing up and the aura he'd felt, it was driving him insane.

"How could Fractals be down there?" Zek said almost as if thinking out loud.

"They were far beyond recognition," Aero added. "Maybe some left over from Rize's attack. A couple thousand years would give them more than enough time to mature."

"I don't know of anyone who could lock them up in Dust like that though. It looked like it had to have grown around them, but no one knows what makes Dust veins spread. It's impossible someone could've placed them there on purpose, and who would think of using the crystals as a prison?"

"I don't know," Aero said, his tone getting softer.

"What about your little episode, then? Things always start getting crazy when the Shards get involved, but you looked like a ticked off thunderhead with swords down there. I was honestly a little scared you were gonna start attacking us."

"I don't know," he said again. "Maybe it was the stone. I felt… well, it hurt to be around. Maybe the pain from touching it just made me… act out."

The blonde could tell by the look on his friend's face he was worried about the effects Tau could have had on him. He vaguely remembered using Beta to help Zek put the Shard back in it's box, but the pain nearly made him pass out, something he was glad he didn't do for the umpteenth time. After that, he didn't even have to strength to take it with them.

"We have to go back for it," Aero added. "We shouldn't just leave it where anyone could find it. I just… didn't have the strength to pick it up at the time."

"I'd rather have that thing cast to wind and flown to the farthest edge of the world," said the eagle, "but sure. Having it in our bedroom sounds nice."

The two sat in silent for a few moments, trying to make heads or tails of what to do. Aero knew Zek wouldn't stop until he had all the answers, but answers were meaningless if the right questions weren't asked. That being said, there were certain questions Aero was dreading. Rize's appearance terrified him, but the other shocked him just a bit deeper.

 **"It was Quinn, wasn't it?"**

 _ **There it is.**_

 **"She was the one who locked the Shard away, right?"** the archer continued while Aero sat silent. Surprisingly, and thankfully, the normally fast-mouthed faunus gave his friend a moment of silence to collect his thoughts.

" **It was her aura that unlocked the door and the cube,"** the boy said after a few moments. **"Dayyani still has traces of it from when we forged them, and that's all without mentioning no one else can work with Adamantine like that. It had to have been her, but…"**

" **I know,"** Zek responded, **"but it looks like we're gonna have to do a bit of traveling to find out more. The text on the cube said whoever made it was heading for "My dearest friend's favorite garden." If it really was Quinn who made it, and she was heading where I think she was heading, we might need some wheels. And a boat. And maybe some bug spray."**

" **I don't want to get any of them more involved than they are,"** the prince responded. **"This is our problem. If it means they're in danger, we'll just find our own way home."**

Aero looked away for a moment and realized how little thought he'd actually put into returning to his own time. Maybe he was still somehow riding the shock of being in Summer's home, but deep down he couldn't force his own homesickness away. If they ever wanted to return to Totum, or maybe even stop the ruin it fell into, they were going to need the Alpha back. Until then, they were basically trapped.

"You know," Zek said, "Summer's family _is_ involved. You can't change the fact they'll try to help us, especially now that you owe a certain Speedster quite the debt."

"I'm too tired for this, Zek," he said to his smirking friend. "You can tease me later. How does that sound?"

"Me? Tease you? Never. Besides, I didn't explain that much about your little stunt to anyone… mostly."

"I should suspect a storm just when things start clearing up, shouldn't I?"

"You should probably ask Snow about that," he replied. "In the meantime, you need some rest. I can't pick that cube up on my own, and, seeing as how I practically carried you here, you're in no shape to use aura like that for a bit."

Aero sighed and looked away from his friend, feeling somewhat frustrated at himself. He knew pride was dangerous, but he was still a prince, someone born with strength and prestige others could only dream of, and he couldn't even lift a stupid box at the moment. He knew Adamantine's properties were in part to blame, but he still felt weaker than he should have.

Speaking of the precious metal, Aero still had the new issue of helping Ruby fix her weapon. The sight of the scythe's blade shattering, leaving the girl standing defenseless against the crystalline demon, still made his blood run… well, he wasn't sure. It was warm, yet freezing, something that gave him, surprisingly enough, a kind of dread filled nostalgia. He started to ponder the feeling further, but the sight of a white haired man in the corner of his vision distracted him.

"Professor Ozpin," Aero said as he stood up, "what are you doing here?"

"I heard that a friend of mine was injured in a cave system beneath the Emerald Forest," he replied. "I thought I should check in and see if how he and the rest of you were doing."

"I've been better," said the prince.

"This hasn't exactly been a "good" day for us," the faunus added.

"I've heard. Despite working at a combat school, I haven't seen many broken legs."

"Take this from someone who has," said Zek, "they usually aren't much fun to watch. Usually."

"Uh-huh," said Ozpin, not really knowing how to respond to that. "I understand there are a lot of questions being asked right now, but how about we go see how Mr. Xiao Long is doing first."

"Sounds good to me," said the eagle, trying to stretch his wings without ripping his shirt. "Seriously though, 20 lien for a hospital gift shop shirt is criminal. Speaking of which, I take it our furry buddies were picked up."

"Yes," he replied as they started their walk. "They were picked up shortly before your evac shuttle arrived, all of them knocked unconscious. It was probably one the easiest arrests the VPD has ever had."

"What about the Tinman?" asked Zek. "Did you tell him about all the you-know-whats in the I-know-wheres?"

"Do you mean your map and the General?" Ozpin asked, to which the emerald eyed boy nodded in response. "That's… complicated. I'll explain it to you when we're somewhere a bit more private."

Aero could see his friend push back the urge to pry deeper into the subject of the White Fang. He wasn't sure what it being "complicated" meant, but he felt Ozpin should be trusted enough to be patient with. Summer had given her recommendation more than once, and that was more than enough for him.

"Alright," the faunus finally said. "Let's just get this over with. I'm not a fan of hospitals."

"Do you have something against them?" Ozpin asked.

"No," Aero interjected, "he just has a preference. How is your back doing, by the way?"

"It comes and goes," he said with a half smile, "and my only preference is the best of the best. Wing pain, bruised head, sore plucking fingers, and more! There's nothing Jen couldn't patch up."

They finally made it to Taiyang's room, now filled up with several of their comrades, and looked into see…

"...yep," Zek added. "Even something as gross looking as that."

-x-

The rainforests lying west of Mistral is considered by many to be one of the deadliest places in Remnant. There are no shortage of poisonous plants and vicious predators, including the crocodilian Sobek which lurk in the swampy waters beneath the trees. These Grimm are masters of stealth attacks, so it only spoke all the higher of her skills as the red haired girl dodged the leaping beast.

Dodging to the side, Pyrrha readied her shield and spear as the monster came around for another attack, it's massive jaw open wide. The girl responded by throwing her shield into the beast's mouth, knocking out several teeth and causing it to flinch in pain. She leapt up to grab a hanging branch as the forward momentum carried the lizard head first into a tree. The monster didn't even have time to react before the warrior released her grip and jabbed her spear into it's head, finishing it off with a muffled gunshot.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Pyrrha decided to head back toward civilization by following the trail of slashed tree trunks she was careful to leave behind. There were certain landmarks filling the swampy area, many of which she knew well from her childhood, but finding golden leafed trees and temple ruins were more troublesome than making her own path through the training grounds. She did one last scan to make sure nothing was poking its head out of the water and leapt into the trees to jump and swing her way home, completely unaware of the pair of yellow eyes looking down at her from above.


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late, but I promise this will make up for it. On that note, I recently noticed we're approaching Shard's one year anniversary. It will be on July 14 and I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing. I'll be on vacation in Florida at the time, so I have a decent idea of what kind of chapter it will be, but I'd like to do something more if anyone has any ideas.**

 **All I could come up with is asking if anyone would like to design a cover art for the story. I couldn't draw to save my life and I'd like to finally have something that wasn't a grey head representing the story. If anyone's interested, I'd love to hear it.**

 **As always, be sure to follow, favorite, and comment your thoughts and questions on the story. Any and all ideas are appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!**

"Thank you for the information, Ozpin."

"You're quite welcome, James, but please be discreet about this. Many of these White Fang outposts are near civilian populations. We don't want to cause a panic."

"That will be up to the Atlesian Council," the general responded, "but… I'll put in your opinion."

Ironwood slowly leaned back in his chair, careful to not damage himself even further. The brunt of the attack landed on his cybernetic half, making repairs somewhat easier, but the injuries to his flesh were deep and searing. Despite being healthy enough to return to his duties, the general could still feel the flames burn against his skin. The man had almost leaned back completely when a sharp pain on his abdomen flared up, causing him to grunt in response.

"James," the fellow headmaster said with concern.

"It's fine," he said. "My anatomy just makes healing a difficult process, but I'll pull through."

"Of course," said the man on the video screen. "Have you had any luck in finding your assailant?"

The general was about to speak when he felt a small pang in his head. He tried thinking back to his interactions with the purple-eyed man, but his memories were too foggy to see properly. He cursed the stolen data from the attack, and answered his comrade.

"Not a single lead," he said with gritted teeth. "They escaped into the sea, so they could be anywhere at this point, if they're even still alive. I wouldn't exactly be bothered by a few hungry Denta in the water."

The white haired man raised an eyebrow at the general's grizzly tone. Ironwood himself had to admit wishing death like that was a tad extreme, even for him, but he meant every word. Still, the thought of the intruders escaping him so easily had caused him more than a few sleepless nights. With new monsters appearing before him, the military man needed every ounce of information to fight his new war.

"We'll find them, James," Ozpin said, sounding a bit concerned.

"He knows we've discovered him," Ironwood responded. "Now that we've seen this new agent, they'll be sure to use more caution."

"You seem to be putting great value on this boy."

 _Boy?_

"I'm sorry, Oz," Ironwood quickly said. "Something's come up. I'll speak with you soon."

"James…" The man was cut off by the monitor clicking off, leaving the general to see the new bits of metal in his reflection.

 _Boy. Boy…_

The general clasped his head and looked down at the map Ozpin had sent him. Each spot represented a threat to his nation, to Remnant, and all the people who lived within. He felt a cold sensation wash over him as the face of his attacker once more flashed before his eyes.

 _No, Ozpin._ He _is no boy._

-x-

"They dead aren't walking again," said Zek. "That's a good sign."

"I don't think "good" is the word to use right now."

The two Totomians looked down at the mangled monster beneath them, careful not to get too close if Zek's theory turned out to be wrong. Aero looked across the room to see the other two Fractals were also lying in the same spots he'd left them. The prince noticed the scorch marks covering their bodies while a part of hoped those were Yang's doing and not his own.

"Welp," said the faunus, "we came all this way. We might as well get what we came for and fly. This place is pretty, but the dead bodies aren't exactly welcoming. Doctor, you may want to come in here."

"On my way," Oobleck responded from the tunnel, completely covered in dirt from his excavating. "I must say the mechanisms here are wondrous. Tell me, how is possible for this kind of lock to operate with a power source?"

"Adamantine is more than just a strong metal," Zek responded, "as you can see."

The faunus gestured over to Aero standing in front of the silver cube. Part of him, a very large part, in fact, wanted to stay as far away from the artifact as possible. His whole body resonated with a strange feeling at the thought of the dark crystal hidden inside. Feelings of fear and desire washed over him as he held his hands at the cube's sides, unmoving.

"Don't worry, brother," Zek said reassuringly.

The prince nodded at his friend and placed both hands on the metal. He tried once more to raise the box with his own strength to no avail, a testament to the craftsmanship of its maker. The aura forcing its way downward would be difficult for a crowd to even budge, so Aero resigned to using his tools once more. With some reluctance, he drew the chrome-orange aura from his blades and focused it on the cube, being careful to not unlock it by accident. The light quickly returned to his swords and he was able to lift the artifact like he was lifting a feather.

" **How's it feel?"** asked Zek. The prince responded by tossing the cube over to his faunus friend, thankful to no longer be holding it in his hands. Zek caught it in midair before dropping his arms close to the floor. He looked like he was struggling to hold the artifact and was barely keeping it an inch off the ground.

"I know it's not that heavy, Zek," Aero said. "You can't fool me."

"I have before," he said with a laugh as he spun the cube atop a single finger."

"I'm sorry," said Oobleck, "but am I missing something."

"You see," said the faunus, tossing the cube up and down, "this kind of metal is special. Not just anyone can use it, without permission anyway."

"Permission?"

"It fights against you if the person who made it doesn't want you to have it. It feels like someone turned up the grav…"

"Zek," Aero said sternly.

"Huh? Oh, right. Secrets. Sorry."

"Is something wrong?" Oobleck asked. "Please, if you have anything else to say…"

Aero considered answering the green haired man's request, but it was something he knew he didn't have the right to do. He felt the swords sheathed on his back and remembered the promise he'd made when he held the finished product for the first time. The prince wasn't sure if any harm would be done, but he still felt compelled to honor his agreement.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Aero said in a low tone, "but there are some things we shouldn't say freely. It's not that we don't trust you, but there are some secrets we've sworn to keep. Right, Zek?"

" **You realize I was** _ **forced**_ **to promise that, right? I don't exactly have the same level of…"**

Aero glared at his friend, who let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright," he grunted. "Sorry, Doctor, but we aren't quite ready for that exposition yet. Maybe next chapter."

The boy looked over to see Oobleck nod, though a bit disheartedly, before walking amongst the ruins once more. Aero himself walked over to the Fractal bodies with a sword drawn in case one of them was simply playing dead. He let a bit of Beta's energy flow into him, giving him the same high he felt when fighting Grimm, though this burst felt even stronger.

" **Do you think they'll stay… you know,"** Zek asked before tracing a line across his throat.

" **I don't know, but the gaping holes in their chests make me feel a little better."**

" **We probably shouldn't stay here much though, just in case another zombie apocalypse breaks out."**

" **Right."**

Zek turned to walk over to Oobleck, but Aero couldn't help but take another look back at the monsters lying in pieces on the floor. He thought back to the sound of Taiyang screaming and look on Ruby's face when her weapon was destroyed right in front of her, the shards of which were still scattered on the floor. The prince clenched his fist in anger, knowing full well his pair of blades wouldn't be enough to protect them if something like this happened again.

"Zek," Aero said.

"Yeah?"

" **I know what we have to do next,"** he said with a look of determination.

" **Awesome,"** the eagle responded with a smile, **"but I think we have** _ **one**_ **more thing to do first."**

" **What is it?"**

The smirk on the faunus' face grew wide before answering his friend.

" **Something… obligatory."**

-x-

"Easy, Yang," said her father. "I don't need a second broken leg."

"Ahh, have a little faith in me, dad," the girl replied. "I'm not gonna drop you."

Weiss stood next to Blake as they watched their teammate help her injured father onto the couch. The blonde man didn't look or sound completely sure his daughter wouldn't leave him on the floor, but settled down once he was safely lying on the cushions. He winced a bit as he adjusted his bandaged right leg, something heiress wished she didn't have to see.

"Here," said Qrow, handing him a glass filled with brown liquid. "This will help."

"I'm not drinking in front the kids," Taiyang replied.

"Suit yourself."

The black haired man downed the drink himself and crashed into the chair closest to Taiyang. Weiss couldn't help but think back to their first introduction and wonder just what kind of person the man was. Winter _certainly_ didn't like him, but the way he acted around his family gave the girl the impression he was something more underneath.

Still a drunk, of course, but still more.

"You're lucky, Tai," the man said. "That thing could've ripped your leg off."

"The bones were barely knocked out of place," he responded. "The doctor said my main concern is letting the wounds close."

"They're still pretty bad," said Yang. "Try not to lose any more blood, please."

"No promises," her father replied with a smile.

Weiss felt a pang in her chest at the site of the Xiao Longs. Her relationship with her own father was distant at best, and seeing those two together left her longing. Still, she put on a bittersweet smile for them, hoping maybe someday she could have something similar.

"Well," said Yang, "I'm gonna go start dinner for everyone."

"I don't think ordering pizza counts as making dinner," said Blake.

"What's that?" Yang asked in a surprised tone. "Did I just hear someone say they _didn't_ want a large double anchovy?"

"I take it back," Blake said with wide eyes as Yang picked up the phone with a smirk. "Yang, I said I take it back!"

Weiss giggled a bit to herself before moving towards the staircase.

"I'm gonna go see what Ruby wants to eat," she said walking the first steps. "Oh, and I'll take a thin cheese pizza, please."

"Those slices are just soggy crackers with marinara sauce, but whatever."

The heiress scowled at her blonde friend's comment, but made her way to the second floor regardless. It didn't take her long to reach Ruby's room, but she hesitated a moment before knocking on the door. The hooded girl had been a bit out of sorts since they'd gotten back from their mission. Apparently, the monster that hurt her dad almost got her as well, not to mention her most prized possession was wrecked after the fight. Weiss took a deep breath and put her hand forward.

"Ruby," she said with a knock. "Can I come in?"

"Ah, come on!" came a voice from behind the door.

Worried about her friend, Weiss entered anyway. On the ground, Ruby sat cross legged with tools at her side and a severely damaged scythe in front of her. The girl was mumbling to herself and pulling at her hair in frustration.

"I can't do it here," Ruby said in an angry tone.

"Do what?" asked Weiss.

"Fix Crescent Rose," she replied. "I don't have the right equipment. Look, I can't even get the second blade fulcrum to turn properly! Not to mention the barrel has been offset by a whole seven millimeters. It can't even fire it properly! And don't even get me started on the…!"

"Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh," the girl said, calming down a bit. "Sorry. I guess I'm just a little upset."

"I can see that," Weiss said, taking a seat next to her. "There's nothing wrong with feeling stressed, by the way. You almost got seriously hurt. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Thanks, but no. Uncle Qrow said he'd take me up to Signal soon to use the forge there. It's where she was born, and it's where she'll be fixed."

"You do realize your scythe isn't a baby right?"

Ruby gasped and clenched her broken weapon tightly.

"Don't listen to her, sweetie. Mama loves you."

"You're hopeless."

Ruby just laughed in response and turned her attention back to the scythe. Weiss understood caring about your weapon, but her partner was obviously taking what happened to hers to heart.

"You know," said the heiress, "I actually expected you to be a bit more sad about this."

"I guess I am a little sad," her friend replied. "I mean, I love Crescent Rose, but I know she'll be fine. Aero's even gonna let me…"

Ruby stopped her sentence immediately at the mention of the Totomian. Weiss caught a quick glimpse of her flushed cheeks before she turned away, obviously trying to hide her embarrassment. It was something the white haired girl simply couldn't resist.

"He's gonna let you what?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Nothing."

"Come on, I promise not to tease you too much."

The hooded girl slowly turned to face her friend, but still avoided eye contact.

"He's gonna let me use some of his Adamantine when I fix her," she said with a gleeful smile. "I'm definitely gonna make a new blade, but I'm thinking about adding some reinforcement in the joints to… why are smiling?"

"Oh, you know."

Weiss watched as the girl covered up with her hood in embarrassment, something the fencer had to admit was adorable in its own right.

"I thought you said you weren't gonna tease me too much."

"Oh, Ruby," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "There could never be too much."

"Whatever," the girl responded.

"I take it he'll be helping you at the forge then."

"Probably. I haven't exactly asked him when he wants to go. He has… a lot on his plate right now."

"I don't think he'd mind going whenever you wanted too," she said with a smirk. "I mean, you're both moving forward so fast. It hasn't been a month and you already want him to help make your baby."

"WEISS!"

The heiress let out a genuine laugh as her teammate lit up like a fire and rambled on about how what she said wasn't true. They were only fixing Crescent Rose, not making a new one, yada yada yada. Weiss didn't care. She knew what she meant. Thinking about it for a moment, she considered bringing up what Zek had told them about Aero's promise in the forest, but she decided, out of the little warmth in her icy heart, to spare her friend from that… for now.

"I'm only kidding," she said, still laughing, "but I can see it now. Both of you, standing by a blazing fire, working diligently on repairing your most prized possession."

"Weiss…" she said in a low tone.

"Suddenly," she said standing up, dramatizing all her actions, "your fingers accidently graze one another, both of you hoping it's just the fire causing you to sweat."

"Weiss…" Ruby said again, now even softer.

"Then, you know you can't hold back any longer. You both lock eyes, lean in as close as you can and… what, nothing?" Weiss looked confused as her friend sat silently, now not even protesting her cheesy story. She had to admit, it wasn't quite as fun to mess with her if there was no reaction.

"... cheese."

"What?"

"Cheese. Thick crust. None of that soggy cracker stuff. I heard you all talking downstairs. You can go tell them that now."

"Oh," Weiss said, worried about Ruby's downtrodden tone. "I guess I'll just… go tell Yang what you want… yeah."

The heiress made her way to the door, feeling guilty that she may have crossed some line with her teasing this time. She only saw it as innocent fun, but something had obviously gotten through to her friend. She was about to turn around and apologise, but Ruby spoke up first.

"Weiss?" she said softly, still not looking her way.

"Yeah, Ruby?"

"Let's say, in a hypoproffesional…"

"Hypothetical," she corrected.

"Right, that. Well, in the event that someone kinda-sorta-maybe-possibly wanted something… like that too… actually happen…"

Weiss' eyes grew wide as Ruby gulped and turned her way, her voice getting softer with every word.

"...how would… this person… actually… do it?"

"Ruby," Weiss said an unnervingly calm tone, "what exactly are you saying?"

"Do you promise you won't tell? _Really_ promise?"

"On my honor," she said with sincerity, though she knew it was painfully obvious already.

"I may have the a little-tiny-super duper small… c-crush on…"

"Go on," said Weiss. "You can say it."

"On… A-A-Aer-NO! Nope nope nope nope nope! I can't do it!" The hooded girl ran and jumped onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow, kicking and screaming muffled shouts into the fabric.

"Listen, Ruby," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting a hand on her shoulder, "I know what a first crush feels like, so, because we're friends, I'll help you deal with this."

The silver eyed girl made some muffled sounds into her pillow her friend couldn't understand.

"What was that?"

"I said, you're acting surprisingly calm right now. I expected you be a bit more… Weiss-y."

"I assure you I am acting very Weiss-y night now," she said as she walked to the door. "For now we will wait until you calm down before discussing our next move. As your teammate, I swear this a battle we will win."

"Umm…thanks," said Ruby. "Really."

"You are quite welcome, Ms. Rose," she responded. "I'll see you down stairs in a moment."

With that, the white haired girl made her way back down to the others, but not before making a quick stop in her own room, shutting the door, prepping her journal for another entry, and covering her face with a pillow before letting out the loudest, highest-pitched scream of excitement she had ever produced.

 _This is going to be fun._


	38. Chapter 38

**Hey, guys! So... I felt like a dad who missed his kid's birthday party when I missed my deadline, but I had a good reason. I was staying at a beach house in Florida and the wifi went out the second day we were there so I couldn't upload anything. Don't worry, though, because I made this one extra long and enjoyable as both an apology and a thank you for everyone who reads the story. It means a lot to me, so thank you all. As always be sure to follow, favorite, and leave any thoughts or questions on the story. All story ideas are appreciated. Enjoy this special chapter!**

"I don't think I like this very much," Ruby said from behind the changing room curtain.

"Come on, Ruby," said Weiss. "I'm sure it will look good on you."

"But there's barely anything on me at all!" she shouted back.

Weiss just laughed to herself and continued sitting on the bench in anticipation, ignoring the glare of her younger teammate's older sister.

"What _exactly_ did you make her try on?" Yang asked angrily.

"Just a swimsuit," said the heiress, not making eye contact. "We are going to the beach afterall."

The blonde brawler kept a suspicious eye on the fencer, but Weiss simply ignored her and looked toward the curtain. A day at the beach was what summer was all about and, in all honesty, the heiress was barely able to hold in her excitement. With the hottest summers in Atlas being lukewarm at best, and the fact her father wasn't one for outings, the idea of a whole day by the water, getting tan, and cooking out, felt almost like a guilty pleasure.

Speaking of guilty pleasures…

"No," Yang said adamantly.

"But…" interjected Weiss.

"No."

"Uh…" said Ruby. The youngest of the girls had peeked her head out from behind the curtain, sighed a bit when she realized the store was practically empty, and took a timid step in front of her friends, wearing…

"No!" Yang said again.

"It's just a bikini, Yang," Blake said with a small laugh. "Besides, we all know you'll be wearing one too."

"Uhh…" the youngest said again with a blush.

"T-that's different!" the blonde said in defiance.

"How?" Weiss asked.

"Uhhh…"

"It just is! Okay!? My baby sister is not going to be seen in that!"

"I don't think I'm very comfortable either," Ruby said in a small voice. "Maybe something a bit less… Yang-y."

 _What the heck, Ruby! WE AGREED ON THIS!_

Weiss turned to her partner with a look of betrayal before covering her face with her hands. So much of what she had planned for the day rested on those pieces of clothing. His initial reaction, helping with putting on lotion, and "completely accidental"… well, maybe she wouldn't go _that_ far… , but everything rested on this!

"See, Ice Queen," Yang said triumphantly, "she doesn't like it. I guess it's all up to big sis to pick out an appropriate piece of swi- wait, what did you say?"

"What exactly should she wear?" asked Blake. "A diving suit?"

"… perhaps."

"Ughh, fine," Weiss said. She made her way over to another rack of the store and skimmed her way through swimsuit after swimsuit. They didn't have much time before they were going to meet back with the boys, but she pushed that constraint from her mind as she searched diligently for something that would work. Finally, near the end of the peg, something pinkish-red caught her eye and she held it infront of her team for approval.

"How about this?" she asked, raising the garments for her team to see.

"I think it looks fine," said Blake.

"It's definitely better than this," the youngest said as she hid behind the curtain. "It looks a bit girly though."

 _That's the point!_

"Hmm…" said Yang, inspecting every piece of the fabric. "I'd still like the full suit idea, but…"

"Perfect!" Weiss shouted, taking advantage of her teammate's hesitation. "Now let's hurry and check out. Today is just getting started."

-x-

 **"I don't think I like this very much,"** Aero shouted, feeling the wind bounce away from his light green aura. His faunus friend was about to respond when he pointed down towards the water and took off toward the surface. The prince let out a sigh and followed suit, his cargo in hand. A few moments later, both boys landed on the white sands next to a possibly intoxicated Qrow passed out in a chair with a pair of sunglasses, though neither knew how he'd gotten there.

" **Which part exactly?"** Zek asked, placing the coolers on the ground. **"The way I see it, transportation by air is** _ **much**_ **faster than ground. Would you rather be stuck riding with this stuff in the back of a crowded car?"**

" **That's not what I'm talking about,"** the prince responded, still walking off Zeta's weightless effect.

" **Was it the flight itself? I know you aren't good on your own, but you're flying with an expert. No need to worry."**

" **It's not that either,"** he responded, looking at the clear water. **"Our country has been destroyed, our friends are missing, and monsters are rising from the grave. Does right now really seem like the time to go swimming?"**

" **I'm obligated by Selena to say "yes."**

"… **you got me there."**

"Listen, brother," the faunus said, wrapping an arm around the prince, "everyone needs some R&R now and again."

"What's an R?"

"It's one of the letters in today's- you know, it doesn't matter," Zek said, shaking his head. "The point is, we've been working hard this past year. Now it's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some obligatory anime-inspired beach special entertainment, with all the sun, surf, and fanservice that entails."

"… **I have absolutely no idea what you just said."**

"You boys sure are loud," said Qrow, who apparently wasn't as knocked out as they had thought, "and what's this I hear about "fanservice?"

"Oh, nothing."

The wicked smile on Zek's face didn't reassure Aero in the slightest, but the prince's attention turned to the approaching car before he had time to inquire further. Through the window, he could make out a flash of blonde hair and the some very concerned faces in the back seats. He and the faunus took a few cautious steps backwards as the vehicle finally came to a stop and the doors started to open.

The first to exit was a yellow-bikini clad Yang, who came out of the driver's door with a smile nearly as devious as Zek's. The brawler made her way to the side and pulled out a terrified looking Taiyang, picked him up piggyback style, and walked him down to sit in the chair next to his teammate/brother, all while Zwei waddled behind them without a care in the world.

"Was it really a good idea for you to come?" Qrow asked, taking a sip from his drink. "The doc did say to not get your cast wet, and this isn't exactly the driest place in Remnant."

"What, and miss beach day?" Taiyang replied, clearly trying to calm himself after the car ride. "Come on, this is the perfect place to relax, especially when I won't be out of commission for long."

"You're just excited me and Yang won't be throwing you into the deeper part, aren't you?"

Holding back a laugh, Aero started walking toward the car to help unload what the rest of their party had brought. Tents, nets, umbrellas, and even two small boats were tied down to the top and a beach robe wearing Blake was already pulling what she could down.

"Do you need any help?" the prince asked. Before Blake could answer, their eyes were treated to what looked like the blazing sun walking around from the other side of the car. Aero and Blake shielded their eyes from the blinding light while Zek let out screams of agony.

"MY EYES!" he yelled. "MY BEAUTIFUL, EMERALD EYES! THEY BURN!"

"Hey!"

As their eyes slowly attuned to the blinding light, they realized it wasn't some fiery spirit sent to torment their pupils, but was instead a certain white-themed heiress hitting the sunlight _just_ right… or wrong, depending on how you looked at it.

"I'm talking to you, birdbrain," Weiss said. "How dare you react to seeing me in such a way. I'm not _that_ pale skinned."

"You have white skin, hair, eyes, and bikini," Zek said, still covering his eyes. "At least your normal outfits have some black and red to balance it out. I'm not too worried though. I'm sure you'll be more than a little tan by noon."

Aero watched as the icy girl grunted angrily, grabbed an umbrella, and looked like she was about to knock Zek over the head, when he saw something pink and red in the corner of his eye. He turned to see Ruby wearing a light red, single piece swimsuit with pinkish frills along her waist. Seeing at the small, bashful smile on her face as she looked at him, the boy noticed the summer heat had suddenly kicked in. He couldn't help but stare for a moment, thinking she looked…

 _ **Stop it.**_

"So," Ruby said with her hands behind her back, "how do I look?"

"You look… I mean… you're… uh…"

"What I think my royal friend is trying to say," Zek said while using Aero to block Weiss' attack, "is that you look **absolutely ravishing, though he'd probably prefer a little less on the top, and maybe the botto- ouch!"**

"Thank you, Weiss," the prince said with sincerity.

"I don't know what he said," Weiss said as she hit the faunus once more, "but I take it he deserved this."

"This is discrimina- ow!"

"We could use a little help here." Aero, with some difficulty, for some reason, turned to see Blake and Yang bringing their cargo onto the beach, with the latter seemingly trying for some new world record. Feeling guilty about having his hosts work for him, the swordsman took what he could from the car and carried it to their spot.

Once there, Aero decided to take his first steps into the salty water in who knows how many years. Despite the millennia that had passed, the cool feeling of the waves washing over his feet felt just like they did on his childhood trips; however, there was something else he felt, something he couldn't quite describe. For a moment, he could have sworn he felt Delta's energy run across his skin.

"Is something wrong, Aero? Don't tell me you're still afraid after our little fishing mishap."

"That was _not_ a mishap!" the boy said as his friend laughed.

"Whatever," Zek said as he opened his wings. "I'm gonna do a quick flyby. We wouldn't want any sccaaarrryy Cthulhu to sneak up on us."

"That isn't funny, Zek."

"It is to me!" the bird shouted as he jumped across the water, splashing a wave in Aero's face. Instead of being angry, the prince was debating whether or not to mention the feeling to his winged friend. Part of him knew Zek of all people would want to know if Selena were near, but that wasn't what Aero felt. The energy relaxed him, and, against his better judgement, he decided to hold out for just a little longer. The smuggler woman wouldn't forgive either of them if they spent their day off worrying about anything but having fun.

"Ahh," came Ruby's voice from next to him. He turned to see her jumping back away from the waves with one foot barely wet.

"Sorry," she said. "I guess the water was a bit cooler than I thought it would be."

"It is a little cold when it's so early in the morning," he replied with nervous laughter.

"I should probably put on some sun lotion before I get in the water anyway," she said as she jumped further onto the sand. "This suit is a bit tight though, so I don't think I'll be able to get the back on my lotion."

"Huh?"

"I mean, the straps on my back. No, the straps are on my back. I mean my suit. Not my back but the things on the back of my suit. No, I mean… don't forget to wear sunscreen!"

With that, the girl ran back to their now assembled tent in a blinding speed, looking a bit down. Aero would have thought more of it, if it weren't for the thought of Ruby and… her suit, and… and…

Practically feeling the smirks Zek and Selena would be having right at that moment, the boy turned back to the water, hoping the day would be as uneventful as possible.

-x-

The waters off the launching dock were surprisingly cool as Dunden slowly waded his feet to and fro. Delta spread a similar feeling across the rest of his body, a sensation that felt both nostalgic and uneasy for the boy, a conflict he couldn't explain. He continued to cause ripples across the dark liquid and think about the situation he found himself in.

"Glass shoes don't do much for stealth, do they?" he asked as he heard the approaching clicks.

"You'd be surprised just how stealthy I am when I intend to be," Cinder responded. "If I didn't want you to see me, we wouldn't be speaking now."

"Yet here we are," he replied, "so I assume you don't mind if I look at you."

"Not at all," she replied with a smirk. "I do have have news, though. With our outpost near Vale having been lost, we've had trouble securing safe transport to and from the city, but it shouldn't be but a few days before a ship that can make it to Vale undetected arrives. Then, you can find the person you're looking for."

Dunden looked into the young woman's golden eyes and knew she was observing him, though he wasn't sure of her true purpose. The look on her face was like the feeling of Delta on his finger, relaxing, yet also putting him on edge. Regardless, he knew that, whatever her interest in him before was, their encounter with Ziz and his own revelation put him into a new perspective.

"Thank you," he said, in full knowledge transport would have been easy to acquire. He turned his attention back to the small ripples in the underground pool and waited for her next move. It was only a few moments later the pyromancer took a seat next to him and kicked the water with her bare feet.

"I never really liked the water," she said, slowly lifting a single leg straight across the water. Dunden couldn't help but look at the girl and think-

 _ **Stop it.**_

"It isn't really my element," she said, putting her leg back in the water.

The boy sat silently next to her with his blank expression. It may have looked like he was simply listening, but, in reality, he was mentally slapping himself.

"So," Cinder continued, "what exactly do you plan on doing when you find your brother? Do you have a plan?"

"Finding him is the first step," he replied, "everything else will take time and energy to figure out." The Totomian was still shocked at how well his host had taken the news of his true identity. He had purposely left out specific details of what had happened to him, however, something that appeared to bother the girl to no end. For some reason, he enjoyed the rare moments her expression let him know she was frustrated.

"You know, you could always stay with me," she said, sliding a bit closer. "You may not always have your own room when we travel, but you wouldn't mind sharing, would you?"

 _ **She's good…**_

"Not if I had to, but I prefer my privacy." The boy didn't dare look at her as he spoke, but a strange force somewhere in him made him take a quick glance. For a moment, her expression, in spite of what he suspected she truly wanted, looked genuinely sad, if only for a split second.

"I'll… consider your offer, though," he added. With that, the young woman smiled, a sign to Dunder he had lost this particular duel. He was a bit distracted by the suddenly warming water, but his attention was pulled back as Cinder stood up, her legs steaming with the heat she put off. Instantly dry, she put back on her glass slippers and began walking back into the main compound.

"Be sure to tell me what you think of," she said as she swayed away. "I'll be waiting."

Dunden turned back to face the water, the feeling in chest now turned to dread and, dare he say it, excitement. He focused his Grip through Delta and telekinetically splashed a bit of water in his face, hoping it would cool off his warm face.

Except he was distracted and forgot the water was now hot.

… _**damn that woman…**_

-x-

"Going up!" Yang shouted as she lobbed the volleyball into the air. Blake followed through by jumping and executing a perfect spike into their opponent's zone.

"Zek!"

"I'm on it," the eagle replied, diving in the ball's direction. For a moment, Aero actually thought he was going to make it, but the sharp sound of volleyball on face let him know this round was going to the girls.

 **"It's not my fault,"** Zek said with a pain filled expression. **"The suns were in my eyes."**

" **What do you mean "suns?" There's only one…"** Aero stopped himself as he watched as the bikini clad Blake and Yang, though mostly the latter, jump up to do some kind of hand slapping thing he assumed was called a "high five." His own expression then dropped to a level even Dunden would find impressive, now knowing full well what Zek meant.

" **You deserved to get hit in the face."**

" **I know."**

-x-

 _I wonder how long it would take to drown if I just stayed like this._

"Ruby," came Weiss' voice, though muffled in the water, "get up here."

 _Just a little while longer. I feel it work- no, this isn't working!_

The young huntress-in-training lifted her head above the surface and started gasping for air. Once her vision was cleared, she saw her white haired teammate wading in the water beside her, wearing an expression with the weirdest mixture of annoyance and pity. Next to her was Zwei, who was joyfully swimming circles around them; however, even seeing that adorableness couldn't make the girl forget her failure, and she proceeded to lower her head back beneath the waves.

"You're not getting away that easily, young lady." Ruby then felt a tug on her hair as her teammate pulled her from her watery grave.

"But I messed up!" the scythe wielder shouted as she jumped up in the water. She quickly realized the others may have heard her yell, but turned to see everyone still enjoying themselves on the shore. Her father and uncle were sipping drinks and watching something on their scrolls while their friends were still playing their game of volleyball. Based on the prideful look on Yang's face and the fact Zek's face was in the sand, she had a fairly confident guess on who was winning.

"Yes, you did," said Weiss, not helping Ruby's confidence, "but I take partial responsibility for that. Maybe the bikini was a little much, and I admit trying to get him to rub sunscreen on your back was probably doomed to fail, but we cannot give up!"

"I don't know Weiss," she said with a red, downtrodden face. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this kind of stuff. Can't I just act normal?"

"Did you not see the look on his face when he saw you earlier? He was totally checking you out. Don't you want him to notice you?"

-x-

Zek suddenly rose from the sand with a determined look on his face.

" **Feeling better, you pervert?"**

" **I feel like I just missed a potential senpai joke, so no, not really."**

" **That's too bad,"** Aero replied. "Yang, Zek just said he thought you were putting on weight."

"What?!"

"No wait!"

 _Smack!_

-x-

"I d-d-don't think I c-can…!" The blushing girl couldn't properly answer her friend as the words "checking you out" rang in her head.

"See?" the heiress said with a proud smile. "I can already tell you're excited for my plan, and don't worry, it isn't asking _nearly_ as much from you… in my opinion.

"Why did you have to add that part?!"

Weiss just held her head high and started dragging her friend to shore. The sandbar reached out fairly far into the cove, but the shallow water was easy enough for the girls and the puppy to quickly move through. When they reached the beach, they saw everyone gathered around her father, watching his scroll, with the exception of Zek, who was still lying in the sand.

"What are you guys watching?" Ruby asked.

"An exhibition round from the Mistral Regional Tournament," Qrow replied.

"And guess who's fighting," Yang said excitedly.

Both girls watched the screen to see Pyrrha facing of a younger looking boy with a battleaxe. The boy, though visibly tired, swung a very powerful looking swing at the female warrior. She easily evaded the attack, however, tripped her opponent, and slammed him into the ground with her shield, ending the match.

"She was going easy on him," Weiss commented.

The group kept watching the feed as Pyrrha helped the boy up, probably congratulating him on a hard fought battle. With shaking knees, the boy bowed to Pyrrha, who nodded in return. The screen then moved back to show a greater part of the coliseum-like arena they had been fighting in. Looking closely, Ruby noticed something familiar in the front row of the crowd.

"Can you zoom in there, Dad?" she asked. Her father paused and zoomed the picture in to reveal Jaune, Nora, and Ren all cheering, with the hammer wielder literally jumping out of her seat in excitement.

"I guess Pyrrha hooked them up with good seats," Yang said. "Good for th- wait, why weren't we invited?"

"They may have thought you girls were preoccupied with something," Aero said to the brawler.

"Like what?"

The boy sighed and pointed at himself.

"… fair enough."

"Yeah, yeah, that's all well and good," the heiress said, "but now it's time for a competition of our own."

"As long as it's not volleyball," Zek said as he spit out sand, "I am in."

"Alright then," Weiss continued, "the game is this: first team to make it all the way around the course wins." The fencer went over to their pile of beach supplies, pointed at the small, kayak size boats they had brought, and grabbed Myrtenaster. Point the rapier out toward the water, she let out a white blast into the distance. Making contact with the water, the light exploded to reveal a patch up ice sticking out of the surf.

"Now then, who's first?"

The group looked amongst themselves, waiting for someone to speak up. It took a moment for Ruby to notice the look Weiss was shooting her and realized she was meant to volunteer. She was about to speak up, when the faunus boy started waving his hands in the air.

"I call first round," he said excitedly. "This'll be no problem for me. I was practically born on a boat."

"Well, I actually _was_ born on a boat," said Aero. "I don't think it's much of an advantage."

"Looks like the boys will be on opposing teams this time," the heiress said. "Aero, would you want to be paired up with Ruby?" The scythe wielder shot a frustrated look at her teammate and her choice of words, but quickly perked up after hearing the boy's response.

"Sure. There's no way the Little Speedster and I are gonna lose a race."

"That team's settled then," Weiss said with a smug. "Now, who would you like Z-"

"Blake," he said in a quick, serious tone. "I choose Blake."

"I don't really like the wat-"

"The other option is to stay on the beach with Zwei," he interjected. The cat faunus looked down at the soaking wet puppy beside her as was treated to a splash in the face as he shook himself dry. Without a word, she made her way over and sat down in the boat, ready to begin.

"Can I make one addition to to this little game, though?" the eagle asked.

"That depends," Weiss said skeptically, "what is it?"

-x-

"On your mark," said Yang, "get set…!"

Ruby readied the oar in her hand, while still being painfully aware of how close Aero was behind her. The boats weren't exactly the roomiest things in the world, and she was sure Weiss had thought of that. The thought distracted her, but not as much as she was to see the two swords lying in the small space beside her.

 _I wish I had Crescent Rose with me, but this is still a great idea!_

"Go…" the heiress said with no enthusiasm.

"Come on, Snow, you've gotta give us more than…"

"GO!" she shouted angrily. The silver eyed girl and the prince started plunging their oars into the water as fast as they could, until a loud bang went off beside them. Before anyone could say "Who brings a gun to a kayak race?," Blake fired a few rounds into their boat and Zek pushed off with a gust of air. The two sat there for a moment, just staring at the water slowly seeping leaking into their boat.

"Who brings a gun to a kayak race?!" Aero shouted.

"Come on!" Ruby said as she drove her paddle into the water. "We've gotta catch up!"

Try as they might, the duo knew there was no way they would catch up in their sinking ship. Ruby felt a bit dejected for a moment, but then remembered how Aero put his trust in her. A fire lit up inside her, and she wouldn't let him down.

"Hold on," she said as she jumped out of the boat.

"Ruby, what are you-?"

Aero was cut off by the rush of speed overtaking the boat. Though physical strength wasn't her strong point, the girl was going to earn her nickname, and started kicking the boat forward with as much strength as she could muster.

"We're catching up!" the boy shouted.

"I can't really see!" she responded.

Aero knew the girl probably wouldn't last long at the speed she was going, but they only needed a bit more time before they caught up to Blake and Zek. The two had slowed down considerably and Zek stopped using his wings. Apparently they were confident in their victory, something the boy wanted them to regret. The faunus duo looked shocked as their opponents came up beside them, just as Ruby took a moment to breathe.

"Good work, Speedster," the boy said as he picked up his swords. Despite her fatigue, the girl smiled happily at the compliment while Aero raised himself up and swung a blade at their foes, making a flooding gash in their vessel. Blake literally didn't take that sitting down and stood up to match Aero's attacks with Gambol Shroud. Zek tried to counter by pushing them with his wings, but kept pulling back to avoid getting sliced.

"Hey! I'd rather not lose my wings today! Or my head, for that matter."

The action came to an end when both boats simultaneously crashed into the ice pillar that marked their course. It didn't take long before every teenager to be floating in the water as the ships sank beneath the surface.

 _Dad is gonna kill us._

"Ouch!" Zek yelled. "Are you sure you don't have claws?" The eagle faunus was attempting to fly out of the surf, but Blake was desperately trying to get out of the water by any means necessary, even if it meant maiming Zek.

"Ouch!" he yelled again, as he slowly started flying to the shore. "The race-ouch!- is still- ahh- on!"

Ruby tried to swim in their direction, but it was no use. Her exhausted legs were barely treading water. If there was a way to catch up, she didn't know it.

"We can… still… make it…" she said between breathes.

"Yes, we will," the boy said. "Just… please don't slap me."

"Why… would I…" Before she knew it, the girl felt a pair of arms around her waist and a warm glow around her body. She then found herself lifted just above the water with her face next to Aero's chest. Part of her hoped she was sunburned, if just to mask how red her whole body was turning.

"Here we go!" he shouted, and they took toward their faunus friends. They were getting close to shore and still found themselves behind.

"We're not gonna make it," Aero said with a tired, yet determined look on his face. Seeing the effort he was putting in, Ruby decided to play her part as well. She put what energy she had left into a rose-covered kick to the water that sent them flying forward. They were moving so fast that, for a moment, the girl could have sworn the world was actually moving in slow motion.

The momentum of the blast carried the two just far enough to reach the shore, where both crashed and rested at the edge of the breaking waves. They were both breathing heavily, but smiled all the same. Blake and Zek were in their windshield, and they knew they had won.

"You did it, Little Speedster," the boy said with a tired laugh. "You were spectacular."

"Not as much as you were," she replied.

"How about we agree both of us were great?"

"Sounds fair." Both laughed together and basked in their victory, until a blast of sand covered them as the faunus crashed onto the beach. Blake hesitantly released her iron grip on the boy and walked over to the spectators, obviously trying to pretend nothing had happened. Zek, however, laid down on his stomach, moaning in pain, with red marks all over his body.

"Hey, Zek," the prince said.

"Whaaaatttt?" he moaned.

"The losers have to go get the winner's weapons out of the water," he said with a smirk.

"And drag the boats back in," Ruby added with a smirk just as devious. "Well, what's left of them anyway."

"...aaaaaahhhhhh!"

-x-

"I'd say this day turned out pretty great," Ruby said as they finished loading the the top of the car.

"Speak for yourself," a near crispy Weiss replied. The heiress painfully crawled her way into her seat, something everyone got a good laugh from.

"It's too bad the day has to end so soon," said Blake. "I actually had some fun today."

"You mean when you ripped apart my flesh?" the bird asked.

"Yes."

"Alright, everyone," Taiyang said as he laid his leg across the seat. "Let's get home and get to bed early, because tomorrow is the day we fix the boats."

There was a collective groan from everyone in the car as the doors slowly closed. Aero and Zek were left standing outside the vehicle alone when one of the side windows rolled down.

"Are you sure you guys don't want to ride with us?" Ruby asked. "We could squeeze in. Maybe we could get Uncle Qrow in."

"Not with his wings you couldn't," Aero replied, "and I don't think he's going anywhere. We'll see you guys back at the house."

"Strap in everyone," Yang said from the driver's seat. "It's gonna be bumpy ride."

The last thing the Totomians saw as the car left quickly sped off was the terrified look on the passenger's faces. As wary as Aero was of flying, he figured having a thrill seeker in the driver's seat may have been a bit more dangerous. He then felt a hand on his shoulder, followed by the weightlessness of Zeta wash over him.

"Thank's Zek," he said, "but I'm gonna try and use my own power this time. I'll keep this in reserve.

"Just don't fall," the eagle said with smile. "I can't be friends with someone who can't even fly right. It's my pride as a faunus."

"I can keep myself for a long time," he said. "I just need to learn to pace myself." Aero covered himself with his silver light and slowly started rising above the sandy shore. He looked back down to see Zek still standing on the ground, a content smile on his face.

 **"Are you coming?"**

 **"I'll just wait until the sun fully sets. There's nothing like flying in a star filled sky."**

The prince nodded and flew up into the darkening sky, leaving the archer alone. He walked over to the beach and felt the warm waves wash over his slightly burned skin, knowing Selena would have laughed at him if he admitted it stung a bit, though not nearly as much as Blake's fingernails. He took a seat at the water's edge and let out a relaxing sigh as the sun dipped beneath the horizon.

 **"A whole year, huh,"** he said out loud. **"It's weird to think we're still so close to the beginning, though when you're based on a show that took three volumes to get the plot going I guess it's to be expected. Anyway, I guess I'll just leave everyone who's been with us so far with a thank you, and if you're new, just pretend I'm saying something that doesn't totally date this chapter."**

The faunus let out a small laugh and stood up to look at the full moon.

" **By the way, he lied to you. The wifi did go out, but he didn't even have the chapter ready to go. The lazy guy was lying around the beach instead of writing this. He also could've written it sooner, but apparently Pokemon Go is the same thing as writer's block."**

The Totomian spread out his wings and prepared to take off into the night.

" **Last thing. If any of you thought me getting hurt was funny, shame on you… though I guessed I'd laugh at me too. Talk to you later!"**

With that, the boy launched himself into the star filled sky, leaving the beach empty, with nothing but the gentle crashing of the sea filling the night like music.

That is, of course, except for the drunkard in the beach chair as he grumbled himself out of his sleep.

"Who the heck was he talking to?" the beyond buzzed scythe wielder asked as he looked around the dark beach. "And where the hell did everyone go?"

-x-

"Hmm…" the white skinned woman said. "Did he say anything else?"

"No," Cinder replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"I believe a test is in order," she replied, not turning to face her disciple. "You've already done a good job of… welcoming him, but I want you to find out what he's capable of. Report back to me then, and we'll discuss our next move."

The red eyed woman then turned to face her disciple and waved her hand as she slowly started to fade, the connection breaking.

"Until then, rest, child."

The witch could feel the disdain in her apprentice's voice from being called such a thing, but she took pleasure in the negative emotion as the girl's consciousness dissipated. Contact directly through the mind was effective, and she almost felt pity on humanity for relying so much their technology instead… almost. Their dependency was something she was patiently waiting to exploit.

She looked up at the full moon with a small scowl, thinking about all those who were sleeping peacefully beneath the sphere. If what her student said was true, however, she could take delight in knowing how soon their dreams would be overcome with nightmares. She had felt it before, but now knew old pieces were now in play.

"Oh, yes," Salem said at the thought of the violet eyed boy. **"My child indeed."**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey, guys! And the hiatus is over. Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I had some important stuff to take care of. I should be back to a fairly regular schedule (school and work allowing), so expect to see more soon. Hopefully, I'll even have stuff up before Volume 4!... that was a joke. As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comment questions and thoughts on the story. All ideas are appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!**

While the sun was making its way above the horizon, Aero exited the palace garden with a sigh. Jen was nowhere to be found, something that shocked the young prince. His friend was usually an early visitor, always picking plants for her concoctions, and she knew her position allowed her access to all the ingredients she needed. The boy doubted she would be able to resist seeing the exotic plants their visitors had brought as gifts, but it was possible she was resting, considering the previous night's… events. He looked back once more and started making his way to the city streets.

 _Sorry, Zek. Maybe I'll find her later._

As Aero made his way toward the forge, he thought about Zek's condition and almost considered not getting him the medicine he wanted. He knew it sounded cruel, something that tore him up inside, but he figured it may be for the best. His winged friend needed to get better and his current treatment didn't seem to be working. It was just on the matter of what a better way could be that the prince couldn't decide.

Finally, past rows and rows of closed booths and littered tables, the boy could see his destination. He walked into the forge expecting to find some form of greeting, but was surprised to find not a single soul in the main hall. Part of him was a bit annoyed at the lack of courtesy, especially considering his position, but he shook his head to try and ward off the prideful thought. He may have been a prince, but he was still among friends. Besides, he didn't want to imagine what Spitfire would do to him if she heard him acting high and mighty above her.

 _She'd probably… wait, why I am thinking the word Spitfire?!_

The prince shook his head farther at this thought, hoping desperately the name wasn't automatic.

 _Her name is Quinn. QUINN! If you call her anything else she's just gonna get mad at you… or worse._

Aero continued to make his way by the dimly lit hall until he noticed a small light coming from the furthest window. He looked outside to see what was causing the light and nearly slapped himself for being so idiotic and not going there first. Behind the main forge was a small home with a candle sitting in the windowsill, a fairly new addition built just far enough away to dull the near constant sounds of metal on metal. The boy laughed to himself at the thought of the nagging the forgemaster's wife must have done to get the new house built, but realized the constant clang of hammers probably kept the baby up.

The prince walked up to the door and knocked as gently as he could. He wasn't sure how early Spi- Quinn's family got up, but the light was a sign at least one person was awake, though he still wouldn't want to accidently stir Aidan from his slumber. The door opened a few moments later to reveal a honey haired woman with a quiet expression holding a slightly squirming crimson-headed boy in her arms.

"Good morning, my prince," Ena said softly with a small bow. "Please, come in."

"Thank you, and good morning as well." Aero walked into the quaint, darkened home and looked around into the connecting rooms, hoping to see if anyone else was up.

"I take it you're looking for Quinn, Prince Aero?"

"Yes," he answered. "We're supposed to forge weapons for me today. I wasn't told exactly when to show up. I hope I'm not too early."

"Not at all," she said with a gentle laugh as she sat down. "In fact, she was awake and headed to her grandfather's forge before even I woke up. She came home so excited I doubt she even went to sleep. It seemed she had a fun time last night."

"Really?" he said with a bit too much excitement. He went red in the face at the thought of her enjoying his company, but was pulled back by the sound of Aidan's little whimper.

"Shh, shh," the child's mother said, rocking him. "It's okay, Aidan."

The child fussed for a few more moments before easing back into sleep.

"I'm sorry," Aero said. "I didn't mean to wake him up."

"It's alright," the mother responded with a smile. "Neither of us got much sleep with last night's festivities. He's just a little cranky, just like his older sister was."

Aero couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of him. The sight of Aidan nestling up close to his mother was adorable enough to make a Grimm sigh in contentedness, but it also left him with a bit of longing. As royalty, he knew he was expected to produce heirs, so he was lucky he'd always felt a soft spot for children, but the feeling was deeper than that. Maybe it was because he had never known his birth mother, but that didn't feel entirely right to him.

"You'd better not be making my baby brother cry."

The prince turned to see Quinn enter the room with a scowl on her face. He was also surprised to see Jen following close behind her, holding an empty basket in her hands. That was one mystery solved, but Aero wasn't sure why the earthy haired girl had a small smirk on her face.

"You should be more courteous to guests, Quinn," Ena said.

"I was nice to Je-" The girl stopped suddenly at the sight of her mother's own scowl and bowed her head in defeat. Aero couldn't help but wonder just how scary the normally gentle woman could be when she wanted too. A part of him even wondered if the red-haired girl had taken after her.

"I'm sorry," she said faintly.

"No offense taken," the prince said. "Besides, I did kinda wake him up."

"I may have done something similar when I first arrived," Jen added. "I was just about to head out myself, so hopefully the little one will be able rest more soundly. I wish you all a good day."

The nobleman's daughter slowly made her way to the door when she stopped and reached into a pouch on her side. She pulled out a small clear container with an oily, clear gel inside.

"This is for Zek," she said. "I thought he may need it after last night's accident. I hope the pain doesn't flare up too greatly this time." The girl handed the container to Aero, who looked down at the substance as his friend walked away.

"Is this really what he asked for?" the boy asked. Jen stopped and answered him without turning around.

"It's what he needs."

With that, Epsilon's wielder walked to the forge, likely to now visit the palace garden, leaving Aero to wonder if what she was doing was the right thing. He didn't have too much time to worry though, as the forgemaster's daughter appeared at his side.

"Jen's good at what she does," Quinn said with a small yawn, "so let's leave her to it. Now, if you're done wasting time, I need to show you the basics. My father is letting us use grandfather's personal forge today and I doubt you've ever gotten your hands dirty in your life. You'd better learn fast, because I'd rather not get bogged down by an amatuer."

-x-

Ruby thought it was weird how she could yawn so loudly yet feel so energized, especially when, truth be told, she had barely gotten a wink of shuteye. The glimpse of sunrise on the horizon told her it was finally the day she'd been waiting for, with the past few days feeling like an eternity. She looked up at the dark, stone castle and felt a wave of nostalgia rush over her. Finally, she was back at Signal.

"Come on!" she said excitedly. "There's no time to waste!"

"Kid," said her obviously tired uncle, "it is 5:45. In. The. Morning. I don't think we'd go to jail for killing a little time."

"Well, it was you who volunteered to drive us." Ruby chuckled at the Huntsman's exhausted scowl before turning her attention to the blonde haired boy staring up at Signal's tower.

"I know it's not impressive as Beacon," she said, "but I still miss being here sometimes."

"I can see why," the prince responded, adjusting the bag on his back, "but I'm a bit confused."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Everything's so light and detailed. Coming in on the airship, the whole place looked pitch black. Zek said he got a good look while flying and saw the same thing too."

"Maybe it was just because he saw it at night?" Ruby guessed. "And maybe you need glasses?"

"Yeah, that might be it," he replied, sounding unsure.

"If you two are done," the older man said with a yawn, "I need to lay down some ground rules real quick."

 _Oh, here we go._

"Rule #1: I am in charge."

"That's kinda obvious," Ruby said in slight annoyance.

"Rule #2: I will not tolerate backtalk."

"I think I already broke that rule." The boy next to her laughed a bit at her sarcastic tone, giving Ruby a warm feeling in her chest, but both quickly snapped back at the the Huntsman's glare.

"Bringing me to Rule #3: Under no circumstances are either of you to leave my sight. The last thing I need is for any crazy teens to be making… _trouble_ in my school."

Aero nodded to the Huntsman, but Ruby couldn't help but freeze up at her uncle's tone. It was obvious to her he had something in mind when he said "trouble," but she refused to fully connect those dots. Still, despite her overwhelming embarrassment, she managed to feel a bit of annoyance at her overprotective relative.

She eventually just shrugged and made her way to the main door, eager to see if anything had changed in the time she had been gone. She was happy to see the opening corridor was still filled with colorful banners and pictures of great Huntsmen and Huntresses the academy had produced. As embarrassed as she was to say it, part of her hoped her own photo would join theirs one day.

"It's this way," said Ruby, pointing down a hallway to the right. She lead their group toward the smithy's location with a spring in her step, the excitement welling up inside her. Crescent Rose was coming back better than ever and her, dare she say it, crush, was the one helping her remake her prized possession. The warmth in her cheeks spiked as she looked back to see Aero gazing around the corridor with a small smile on his face, though she immediately turned back around after seeing her uncle's gaze. Whether he was staring intently or smirking, she did not know.

They finally reached a large, metal door with Vale's symbol painted across it in a vibrant green. Ruby knew the marking was supposed to be a message for those creating their weapons, a reminder of who they were taking up arms to protect, but the girl felt a new, unsettling feeling while looking the symbol. The last time she stood in front of a door like this, it didn't exactly end well for her.

"Stand back," her uncle said, walking toward a wall panel. Students, for obvious reasons, were normally forbidden from entering the forge unsupervised. Ruby was grateful she had connections that always gave her the access she needed, not that this made her father very excited. She watched as her uncle placed his scroll against the screen, opening up the room.

"Well," she said, facing Aero, "what do you think?"

"It's… clean."

The two walked into the sparkling room, followed closely behind by Qrow. Racks upon racks of tools covered the walls of the metalclad room, with benches and workstations circling the perimeter. Ruby was surprised by how quickly the staff had cleaned the place up, though she suspected the messes made by aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses weren't exactly pretty to look at. After all, she had made quite a few herself.

"Too clean," Aero added, walking over to a workbench. "There are some pretty impressive looking tools here, but it's too… shiny. It feels off."

"Says Mr. Silver Spoon himself" the black haired man said sarcastically. "What exactly would a prince know about making knives?"

"I'm not sure what eating utensils have to do with anything, but plenty." The swordsman set down his bag on the table, the clang of the metal plates resounding. "How do you think I made Dayani here?"

Ruby watched the boy unsheath one of his blades, the silver metal gleaming under the lights. She couldn't help but get move closer to get a better view of the ancient weaponry. The smooth hilt spread ran into the slightly widened guard, the two small points being the only things separating the split blades from the user's hand. The spherical pommel was likely meant to bash and stun, while the sword's gap could be used to trap an enemy's blade. Most people would pass it off as a weird sword design, but Ruby's weapon obsessed mind was running over every detail.

"You'd better watch it, Uncle Qrow, or Silver Spoon here may just surprise you." She took a step closer to the boy, seemingly just to see the weapons better, but she knew how her uncle would interpret the motion. She knew her cheeks would be a pinch redder than normal, but she was determined to get closer to the boy, if just a little.

"Seriously, what spoon are you two talking about?" Ruby winched a bit, completely fazed by the boy's deadpan response.

Qrow, sensing his niece's challenge, took a few steps towards them.

"You think being able to sharpen a piece of metal means something?" he asked with an outstretched hand. "There's more to it than thaAAAT!"

Ruby jumped back a bit as a loud clang echoed in the room. Her uncle had tried to take the sword from Aero's hand, but now found the weapon lodged into the floor. The man gritted his teeth and pulled up on the blade with all his strength; however, no matter how hard he tried, the sword wouldn't budge.

"How… much… does this… thing… weigh…?!"

Aero just laughed under his breath, not saying a word as Qrow struggled, while Ruby tried to understand what she was seeing. Dayani had felt practically weightless before, but now her greatsword wielding uncle couldn't move it an inch. Curious, she reached down to try and help her mentor, but found it was like trying to lift a dozen Crescent Rose's at once.

Ruby strained for a second, pulling with all her might, when she felt a warm touch on the back of her hand. She looked to the side to see Aero wearing a small smile and a faint silver glow, but not before her force launched the now feather-weighing weapon into the air.

"Look out!" The hooded girl didn't have time to react as her uncle grabbed her and moved her away from the falling blade. Aero, however, looked kept the same look on his face and raised his hand into the air. Before the girl could shout at him to move, the boy did something that shocked her. He stood there, unmoving, and caught the weapon, his fingers between the split blades and his palm being pushed into edge.

"Aero!" Ruby shouted. She looked on in shock and worry as the prince tossed his sword to his free hand and put out his palm for them to see. The girl expected a bloody gash, but there wasn't even a papercut sized mark. The boy lightly laughed a bit to himself and looked at the scythe wielders with a smile.

"In my time, a man who can't handle a weapon is considered useless." He tossed his sword back to would-be injured hand and danced it between his fingers. "I'm certainly not the best, but you should use what a prince offers you. Now, if you're done wasting time, I need to explain the basics. I'm letting you use some of my kingdom's most treasured metal, and I can see neither of know the first thing about it. You'd better learn fast, because I'd rather not get bogged down by amateurs."

-x-

Dunden laid awake on his makeshift cot with his thumb running over the blue-hued jewel in his ring. Part of him wondered if he even should think about it as "his," but he pushed that thought away for the moment. An overcrowded brain was keeping him awake as it was.

The Totomian turned to the small screen with glowing numbers next to him. Unfortunately, his inability to read them, matched with the disorientation of being underground, meant he had no idea what time it was. If he trusted his internal clock, it was likely between 5 and 6, but he had no way of knowing for sure. He considered lying there until someone came to fetch him, but he realized he, despite his situation, had been relaxing quite a bit more often than normal. Securing his swords at his waist, the boy made his way into the dark hallway.

 _Hmm._

Dunden took a few more before stopping. He stood motionless in the dim light, listening to the silence. Normally, there was near constant reverberation of footsteps along the walls. Growing up in a castle filled with people, the prince found the sound almost therapeutic, but now there wasn't a single step to be heard. He gripped the hilt of one of his blades and waited.

 _What is this?_

The swordsman took one tentative step forward. His foot just made contact with the ground when the lights leading down both ends of the long corridor shimmered and cracked into small explosions, leaving the light above him the only one he could see. Drawing both his weapons, Dunden readied a small layer of aura around him, listening for the smallest sound of movement.

The silence was broken by the sound of gunfire to his back. The prince drew his second blade as he turned on his heel and deflected as much of the attack as he could, though he still felt several rounds bounce against his shield. He kept this up for a moment before clipping his blades together and sprinting down the hallway. Part of him considered cutting whoever stood in the shadows to ribbons, but something tugged at him at the last moment, urging him instead to fire a blast of violet aura to merely stun his opponent.

Dunden expected to hear the sound of a body hitting the floor, but his own light only revealed the space before was completely empty. He squinted and saw a dim light not far ahead of him. Reading to meet his fleeing enemy, he continued to charge in that direction; however, what he found was not another person. He reached his destination only to find his own room next to him, the same one he had just run away from.

 _This has to be a trick. That isn't possi-_

The violet eyed boy was cut off as the echo of chains bounced all around him. He didn't even have time to react as he felt something cold and metallic wrap around his leg and drag him into the darkness. Firing another blast in the direction he was being pulled, the boy once again found no person in range. He attempted to slash at the chain around his foot, but instead felt someone else foot collide with his face, stunning him. The prince spun his blade randomly, trying to graze his attacker if he could. By the time his vision refocused, he found himself standing once more outside the same room.

 _How is this… no…_

Dunden hoped the darkness would hide the small look of shock on his face. He tightened his grip on the double lengthed hilt, only to notice something on his right hand was missing. Panic was something he prided himself on controlling, but he couldn't help but acknowledge the feeling was poking around inside his mind.

 _Delta…_

The boy was barely able to form a thought as rounds of bullets started hitting him from his front and behind, and he could have sworn he heard the faintest laughter in the distance. It was all he could do to stave off the onslaught, but he could feel his aura levels dropping with each hit. He inwardly berated himself, frustrated he had been caught so off guard.

 _ **What would Rize do? What kind of test would this one be?**_

Suddenly, the hail of bullets stopped. Though thankful for the momentary ceasefire, Dunden knew he was far from safe. It wouldn't be long before his aura reserves recharged, but he had taken damage and he didn't know for how long he'd be allowed to just breathe.

 _ **You're a Prince of Totum, damn it. How could you lose a… that's it.**_

The realization hit the boy as the gunfire sounded again; however, he changed his tactics this time. He held his connected blade motionless in front of him and focused solely on grounding himself in that one spot, no longer making attempts to charge at his attacker. It was a lesson both his father and brother had passed to him.

 _ **A resolute king is sturdier than his fortress; an advancing ruler is deadlier than a storm.**_

He reached out his aura with closed eyes, focusing now on feeling Delta's presence. It was close, _very_ close, and in the hand of some backing away from him. Wrapping his aura around the ring, he used his Semblance and snatched the Shard back from the thief, levitating it back onto his finger. Using the newfound energy surge, he launched himself forward one more time at a blinding speed. Though his eyes were shut, he felt the outline of his prey, landed a hard kick to their side and sent them flying in the darkness.

Dunden continued moving towards his target when a bright flash suddenly shined all around him. His vision refocused after a moment and he found himself in the opening room with the cave's dock, wondering how he could have gotten there. He looked down to see Emerald struggling to raise herself off the ground.

Walking over to the coughing girl, he felt the urge to finish what she had started. He hated himself for being so vulnerable, but that didn't change the crimes the thief had committed. Raising his sword over her terrified form, Dunden prepared to end it. He gripped the hilt tightly, until a small electric surge from Delta. He listened to the slight motion of the water near him and drove the blade downward, barely missing her neck at the last second.

"Almost perfect."

A familiar, sultry voice came from behind him. Not taking his eyes off his would-be assassin, he responded.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"A test," Cinder replied.

"A test? You… ordered her to attack me?"

"I wanted to see how you'd react. I had no doubt she wouldn't be able to do it, but it would have been interesting."

"I could ha-"

Emerald's protest was cut off from what Dunden guessed was a glare from Cinder. The boy raised his blade from the ground, allowing the still terrified girl to make her escape. The boy allowed this and turned her attention to the pyromancer behind him.

"I should congratulate you," she said. "Not many are able to resist Emerald's mind games."

Dunden said nothing and pointed one end of his bladed staff at his host. He looked at her beautiful face, but he saw the shadow of his older brother in his mind. These sorts of tests always ended this way. What had he learned, and what would he do now?

The girl laughed lightly under her breath.

"I suppose you aren't finished yet," she said as she formed a small ball of fire in her hand, ready to meet the boy's challenge. "Thus far, you've always managed to surprise me. Try not to disappoint me now."


	40. Chapter 40

**Hey, guys! I know this is extremely late, but I had a few reasons. Some of them were personal (meaning I got lazy over the break), but I also decided to wait through part of Vol. 4 to see if there was anything I could use... and there _definitely was._ I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I'm an eclectic writer and I rarely plan things out, yet somehow _a lot_ of things I was actually planning fit almost too perfectly into the show. Not that I'm complaining. Anyway, I decided to have a little fun here. Be sure to follow, favorite, and comment any thoughts or questions. I'm always looking for story ideas. Enjoy the next chapter! **

The two scythe wielders exchanged a look of shock and confusion before turning their attention back to the young swordsman. He wore a proud, yet mischievous looking smile on his face and he spun his sword, playfully tossing it between back and forth between his hands before stopping. Ruby quickly stood up and made her way over to the boy, grabbing his hand to inspect it without a second thought.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, the tone of her voice showing her genuine concern.

"I'm fine," he replied with a small laugh. "See? Not a scratch."

Ruby looked down at the palm held between her hands and, sure enough, found not a single drop of blood. Still, she looked at it for a moment longer to make sure she wasn't somehow not seeing the wound. She also felt noticed her uncle had moved and was looking over her shoulder to see.

"How in the world…?" Qrow asked.

"It's like I said," Aero replied. "Adamantine weapons aren't exactly normal."

The young scythe wielder was definitely curious as to what the boy meant, but still found her silver eyes drawn to the the palm that should have been cut. Even though she knew Aero was fine, she couldn't help but run her gaze over and over the skin, just in case. She held it for a few moments longer before hearing the voice speak again.

"Uh, Ruby?" said Aero.

"Huh?" she questioned. It took her a moment to realize she still held the prince's hand in between her own, but she quickly released her grip when she realized what she was doing.

"Sorry," she continued, trying her best not to sound embarrassed.

"Don't be. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You mean when you let a sword fly across the room?" Qrow tried to sound angry, but Ruby could see right through his act.

"Weren't _you_ the one who threw it so high?" asked the girl.

"On accident," her uncle said in self-defense. "By the way, what was with that thing's weight? It felt like I was trying to lift a Goliath… not that I've ever tried that or anything."

"My apologies," Aero said politely, though Ruby smiled a bit at the smallest bit of sarcasm in his tone, "but you really should ask before taking someone's property, especially from royalty." The prince then held out his sword to the older Huntsman with a smile on his face. Qrow, understandably, didn't look like he was in the mood for a repeat of what had just happened.

"You can lift it now," the boy said with a genuine tone. "I promise."

Ruby watched her uncle hesitate for a moment before reaching out to take the weapon. Qrow clearly looked like he expected there to be another hole in the floor soon, but his expression lightened when he picked the sword up with ease. He stepped back and took a few swings at the air before looking down to inspect the blades for himself.

"Alright, I'll bite. How'd you pull of that trick of yours?"

"It wasn't a trick… mostly." Aero reached out and tapped his finger against the sword in Qrow's hand. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but a light glow gradually started emanating around the metal. It was dark silver, but Ruby noticed quick wisps of other colors briefly float off before dissipating. She paid particular attention to a familiar orange that seemed to pop up around the handle and her uncle's hand.

"It feels… alive."

"Not exactly," said the Totomian, "but you're close. This is part of what makes Adamantine so special. It's created to act as both a container and propellant for the aura of its maker."

"A propellant?" said Ruby. "So, you mean, it acts kind of like…"

"Dust," her uncle added.

"... yes, though that's a secret I was supposed to keep."

Ruby looked up when she heard the lowered tone of Aero's voice. He had been teasing them a moment ago, but he had stopped looking at them, his gaze turned slightly downward. His smile slowly faded along with the light from his weapon. The prince sighed before continuing.

"Aura, by its nature, is malleable, and I hope I'm pronouncing that right. Summer didn't sound so sure herself when she told us what it meant."

The scythe wielders focused intently at the mention of the missing Huntress, but stayed silent.

"Anyway, this metal was created to take advantage of that fact. Acting on its own, it absorbs aura from whoever it touches, be it the person holding it or from the small amounts that people radiate out, and stores it until the metal either gets too full or its owner expels the extra power. That also includes the little bit it's getting from you now. Think of it like a very absorbent piece of Dust that doesn't get destroyed whenever it's used."

"Holy crap, kid," Qrow said as he handed the sword back. "That sounds like it could be pretty freakin useful, but also a bit dark. I don't think I want to touch something is pulling off a piece of my soul."

"I understand, but I promise it won't hurt you at all. My aura was the base the metal was made around, so it acts as a kind of shield. It even blocks the edges from cutting anything if I don't want it too, like how aura protects our bodies in combat, which is why I still have my hand right now. As for the weight, my aura also acts as a kind of fail safe if anyone decides to take what isn't theirs. If I don't allow it, all that energy stored inside gets stirred up and does everything it can get away. My father told me his sword once flew into the ceiling when someone tried to snatch it, but I think he may have just been making that up."

"Wait," said Ruby. "So, it… _moves?_ Like, on its own?"

"Not really. It's more like it's fighting against you. The aura inside acts like the person themselves. All the colors are bits of other people the metal's absorbed, extra supplies of aura you can use. At least, if that person would ever let you. Since it's me, you should have no problem."

The girl looked at the boy with a confused expression. She still had a lot of questions, but she really wasn't sure what to do with the information she already had. The whole outing was supposed to be about her getting a sharper blade, but now she was being told she would be carrying bits of other people around with her. Needless to say, that didn't exactly sound right.

"It'll make more sense when you actually use it," Aero said. "It may not feel totally normal since it wasn't made for you, but it should work… probably."

"What do you mean "made?" asked Qrow. "Isn't it just something you dig up?"

"No. You have to _make_ Adamantine, and believe me," the boy said, looking at his weapon with an almost sad looking smile on his face, "it isn't something a normal person can do."

-x-

Aero watched as the red-haired girl laid the multi-colored crystals on the table. The building they were in opened up to the outside, but didn't face the slowly rising sun, so the only light was being provided by a few torches and the warm flames of the oven. The light bounced off the bits of Dust in a beautiful array of hues that made the boy's eyes widen, but he noticed Quinn stared at the gems nervously.

"..., so," the boy said after a few moments of silence, "will your father be helping us?"

"Why do you ask?" she said indignantly. "Do you think I can't do this?"

"No! I mean, yes? I mean… you definitely can." Aero had hoped he had given the right answer quick enough. The girl's glare, however, told him that was not the case.

"I told him I wanted to do this on my own," she said. "He'll help if I ask, but we won't need that. I can do it. I can."

Quinn clenched her fists as she spoke, but Aero thought she sounded more like she was telling herself than him. He had seen the metalworks the aspiring blacksmith had created and knew she was capable of making his swords. Still, he knew their goal for today was not as simple as shaping a piece of iron. He watched as the girl picked up a fairly large piece of red Dust and held it tight in her fist.

"We'll start with this one," she said as she turned to the boy. "Fire should be the easiest to use."

"For you maybe," he commented. "I can barely lift a small piece of earth right now, and don't even ask about water."

"Maybe not with your Semblance, but you can use Dust better than anyone, though using that fancy new necklace may be cheating. Don't cry to me if you accidently melt it today."

Aero was surprised when he remembered he was still wearing Beta around his neck. It should have been something that he could not stop thinking about, but the feeling of the gem hanging above his chest was perfectly natural to the prince, like how his next breath would come whether or not it came to mind.

"I think I might be exiled if I did something that stupid," he said with a small laugh. "Besides, I'm not clumsy."

"Well," she said, not meeting his gaze, "I at least know you can dance."

"You really think I can-"

"Did we come here to talk or make weapons?" she said sternly.

"Uhh… both?"

The redhead sighed and turned her attention back to the glowing, red crystal in her hands. She closed her eyes as the stone was gradually wrapped around by the faint orange hue of her aura.

"Aren't we supposed to be using my aura first?" Aero asked.

"Not yet," she snapped at him. "This is… just a warm up."

"Oh," he said as Quinn closed her eyes once more. "... do you need any hel-"

"It's rude to interrupt," she said without opening her eyes. Aero quickly straightened up at that comment, almost as much out of knowing how a prince was meant to act as fear of the young girl's wrath. He waited patiently for a few minutes as the crystal slowly grew more and more silver in color. The Semblance that Egil himself once sought after was something the boy had never seen in person, though he somewhat understood how it worked. The Dust looked more metallic by the moment, though he could see beads of sweat starting to form on the girl's brow.

"Are you okay, Sp-?" Aero wasn't able to finish his sentence before the crystal suddenly shattered with a burst of hot air. The remains fell out from between the girl's hands like sand until she was left empty handed, staring at the grains scattered on the floor.

"Oh no," he said quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk. I _really_ didn't, but you looked…"

The stammering prince was silenced by the piercing, bronze-hued glare of the blacksmith's daughter. He was expecting a verbal reprimand, but was surprised to see the girl slowly exhale and turn her attention back to the crystals. This time reaching for a yellowish stone, he watched her try the same process as before, this time taking much longer as Aero remained silent. Unfortunately, after a few minutes of anticipation, the results remained the same.

"Maybe just _one_ more ti-"

Without turning to look at him, Quinn snatched a piece of Dust off the table and crushed it in her hand, a small trail of smoke escaping her clenched fist. Aero bit his tongue at the sight and waited for her to act again.

"I can't do it."

"...what?" he said in response to her low tone. "Sure you can. Maybe the piece was just too big, or maybe you're just tired."

"Hm," she grunted, a small smirk growing on half of her face. "If I'm tired, it's your fault, but… no. Honestly, I haven't been able to make a single speck of Adamantine, and I've been trying for weeks. Dad said he first did it when he was twelve. What's the point of having this power if I can't even use it right?"

Aero was honestly stunned by Quinn's words. This was the same girl who always acted like she could be queen of the world if she wanted to be, something Zek had once told him was "very, _very_ ironic", but seeing her admit to such a weakness unsettled the boy at his core. It was rare enough for her to act happy and humble at the same time. Sadness was something he never expected, nor wanted to see.

"What's the matter?" she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "No encouraging words? You're bad at this, you know."

"Oh, uh…" Aero racked his brain, trying to think of something. "Maybe iron sharpens iron?"

"Of course it does, but if this was iron it would be easy. Do you know how easy an iron dagger is too make?"

"Not really. I just meant that maybe I can help. Dunden and I sometimes practice on using our Semblance together when we train. It doesn't always work and he's definitely better than me, but we once lifted that big stone in the garden one time. Neither of us could do it on our own."

"I hope you didn't crush any of Jen's plants when you lowered it back down," she said with a light chuckle. "... it sounds kind of like cheating though."

"Well, maybe it will help you get the hang of it. I'll only take, say, 30% of the credit."

"15."

"20."

"Deal, but only for the first piece."

"You can't just say deal and then add more stuff."

"You don't make the laws," she said with smile.

"Not yet anyway," he retorted.

"I'll burn that bridge when I come to it." Quinn reached out and grabbed another piece of fire Dust, though the new piece looked barely as large as a marble between her index finger and thumb. "Are you ready?"

"Only if you are." Aero put his own fingertips on the crystal, trying carefully, but not too carefully, to avoid brushing his against hers. Slowly but surely, and with a small stream of energy flowing from Beta, the two pooled their aura into the small gem.

It slowly began to shine.

-x-

Ruby noticed the look of hesitation on Aero's face as he held the plates of metal over the belt. There was a smelter built into the walls of the forge and, with a push of a button, the metal would be melted down and placed into whatever mold she needed to repair Crescent Rose. The boy held the pieces of metal there for a moment before laying them down and sending them off into the fire. As excited as Ruby was to finally be repairing her weapon, she was still concerned about his hesitation. He had explained how only a single family was able to make the material, and briefly mentioned the creation of his own weapons and their creator, so she understood why he might not be completely comfortable.

"It's okay if you don't want to do this," she said. "We have plenty of metal here, so it's not like this is necessary."

Aero looked her way for a moment before turning back to the plates in his hands. Ruby could tell he was uneasy, but the look in his eyes made him seem almost afraid. Without answering, the boy took a deep breath and lowered the material onto the belt where it was carried out of sight.

"It's okay," he finally said. "It was just armor. I usually have to get a new set every year or so, so it's not like I'm giving up a lot. I just hope Quinn doesn't kill me when she finds out, but I'm sure she'll understand."

 _Bum-bum._

"S-so, she made your armor too?" Ruby asked, though she was distracted by the newfound weight growing in her chest. "It wasn't anyone else in her family."

"No," he replied with a small smile, though it sounded like he was talking to himself more than her. "Her family may be the only people who make the stuff, but she'd never let me go to anyone else, not even her father, once she could finally do it on her own, not that I'd be crazy enough to try."

 _Bum-bum._

"Which reminds me," he added, "do you remember the creatures in the… Ruby, are you feeling alright?"

"Huh?" She was snapped out of her daze by the boy's question. The pain in her chest grew slightly and she noticed her breath was getting faster.

"You look sick," said her uncle. "What's wrong?"

"I… I was just thinking about those things in the cave. They must have gotten too me a bit more than I thought."

"Believe me, I understand." She watched the prince rub his shoulder, the same one that had bleeding the night she found him. "They aren't something you can just forget about."

"I saw the pictures Oobleck took," said Qrow, "and after seeing what those things did to Tai… well, I'm just glad everyone got out. Still, I've seen some things that would give even the toughest Huntsman nightmares, and it's still hard to believe what you told us about them."

Ruby thought back to the explanation Aero and Zek had given them after their encounter. She'd had time to process, but the information still made her feel sick in her stomach, not too unlike what she was feeling now.

"Those were really people?"

Aero slowly nodded.

"Omega can do terrible things to a person, but _that_ is the worst. They're empty shells filled with nothing but darkness."

Ruby could hear the boy grow more and more angry with each word. The Totomian clenched his fists as he practically spit out his next words.

"Worse than Grimm."

As a Huntress-in-training, Ruby had never once thought something could be more horrible than the monsters that threatened the entire world; however, thinking back to the soulless eyes of the creatures that nearly killed her, she found herself struggling to stand. She normally ran towards a fight with confidence, but part of her just wanted to run away.

It also didn't help that the normally calm boy in front of her was so visibly agitated, seemingly more out of fury than fear. After seeing the spectacle of him cutting the monsters down before, she was more curious than ever what kind of world her mother had disappeared into. If it held those kinds of horrors, she thought perhaps it was better if some things stayed forgotten.

"They're part of why I wanted to help you rebuild Crescent Rose, Speedster" he said in a calmer voice. "Normal weapons can hurt them if you're strong enough, but, if you want to finish them off in a fight, Adamantine is about the only thing that will do it. That's why my grandfather forced Quinn's family to stay in Totum in the first place, and why I'd normally ask you to not tell a soul about this. The wrong sorts of people would come for them if word got out… but I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Aero," she said in response to his tone, "I…"

Ruby was cut off by the sound of her ringtone echoing through the room. She took out her scroll to see she had an incoming call from Weiss. Cursing her friend's poor timing, she looked back and forth between her scroll and Aero, trying to find the right words to say.

"It would be rude not to answer," the boy said with a smile. His words put her a bit more at ease, but she still hated her situation.

"I'll be just a second, I swear." Both men nodded to the girl as she exited to the hall, closed the door behind her, and answered.

"Yes?" she said, making the annoyance in her voice obvious.

"So, how's it going?" Weiss, apparently unfazed by Ruby's tone, sounded giddy with anticipation.

"It was going… well, okay, I guess, until you called."

"Okay?" she said in a more serious tone. "What do you mean "okay?" Do I need to come down there? I swear if his highness thinks for one moment that he's too good for you, I will give him a piece of my mind and kick his royal butt!"

"When has he ever acted like that?!" Ruby realized she shouted that last part and quieted herself down. "Besides, I don't think Silver Spoon would care too much if you made fun of him."

"What did you call him?!" the Schnee squeed, followed by Ruby feeling her face light up. "That is so cheesy. And so cute! We might need to workshop it a bit though."

"I didn't…! We weren't…! It was Uncle Qrow who…! Why am I even having this conversation with you?!"

"I take it everything is actually going well then," Weiss said as she tried to suppress her laughter. Ruby was about to answer with another shout, but, thinking about it, something felt very off to her. She didn't want to say, or even think about her suspicion, but the pain in her chest was getting worse the more she thought about it.

"Ruby?" her partner asked after a few moments of silence. "Are you alright?"

"Weiss, can we talk once we get back?"

"Of course, but why not now?"

Ruby was about to answer her concerned friend when she heard the door open behind her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Aero said, "but Qrow said it's almost ready."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile as the boy went back into the room. "Weiss, I'll tell you later, okay?"

"Okay," she responded, though she still sounded worried.

"Thank you." Ruby hung up her phone without a goodbye and started walking back into the forge. She almost made it too the door when she decided to send a quick text to Weiss, just to try and feel some relief. Once she was finished, she put her device on silent and walked into the room, ready to try and rebuild.

-x-

"I believe the expression is ladies first."

"What about age before beauty, my prince?"

 _ **… shit, she's good…**_

Realizing any retort he may have had would most likely end in his painful death, Dunden instead opted raise his chances of survival by watching for any information he could find. He knew the fireball in Cinder's hand was only a small fraction of what the pyromancer was capable of. He had felt that aura himself aboard Ironwood's ship, and its strength was as enormous as it was unusual. Something was very off about the girl and he had only a few seconds to prepare himself.

"Do you always fight unarmed?" he asked as they began to slowly circle each other.

"Only when I want to give my opponent an advantage."

"I'm flattered."

Dunden ended his sentence by charging up his blade and swinging it at Cinder's feet, the force of which caused her to jump back. He charged at her with intent to harm, though he made sure to keep the small ring of aura surrounding the edge of his Adamantine blade up. These kinds of tests were far from uncommon to him, and he knew killing the proctor was almost never the choice he was supposed to make, not that he ever made those choices correctly. Besides, a part of him simply did not want to kill his… _interesting_ new friend.

The swordsman made a hard swing aimed at her chest, only to hear the sound of scraping glass fill the open room. Given the pair of swords Cinder now held in her hands, he assumed she had retracted her line about wanting to give him an edge. At least, the kind that wouldn't cut his head off.

Cinder responded to his burst attack in kind as Dunden braced himself for the wall of flame that engulfed him. He released a quick shot of violet aura to clear his vision and found himself a fraction of a second away from being impaled by a red-hot glowing sword. Turning quickly on his heel to avoid the death blow, the Totomian tried to drive his knee into her arm to break her grip on her weapon. To his surprise, he was actually successful in knocking out one of her blades, but the fireball that instantly formed in her now free hand looked just as threatening.

"Nice try," she said as the stream of fire erupted towards the boy. He had no choice but to launch himself back towards the water of the docks. Though he was no fan of the ocean, and knew he was practically cornering himself, Dunden realized his chances were better wherever her fire could not go. There was also the matter of the energy Delta had been radiating since he stole it back from Emerald. The pool made him feel relatively safe, considering the fact he had a woman who could shoot torrents of flame charging at him.

Dunden readied himself for the attacks the now re-armed Cinder would try to cut him to ribbons with. He blocked a few of her initial strikes before feeling the breeze of a sudden kick pass by as he ducked beneath it. It wasn't a second later before her other leg attempted contact with his face, this time grazing his shoulder and breaking his rhythm. He countered her new offensive by focusing less on offense and twirling his double ended blade as erratically as he could, causing her to jump back to avoid getting cut. If the amber eyed girl tried another attack with her just her body, she'd find herself missing a limb.

"Are you even going to ask why I'm doing this?" she asked as she relaxed her pose slightly.

"There's no need," he replied in his regular monotone. "You'll tell me when this is finished."

"What if I'm just trying to kill you?"

"Then you would have done it yourself while I was sleeping. You just want to see me fight."

"Well, I certainly am curious, so try not to hold back."

"You mean like you are?"

Cinder's gaze turned serious after Dunden called her out. Granted, the Totomian was far from going all out as well, but the small smile that grew across the girl's face let him know the next attack would be different. He readied himself for the assault, but was shocked to see her use her fire to propel towards him at a blinding speed. The girl bounded above him and unleashed a volley of fireballs downward on the prince. Blocking them wasn't particularly difficult, but the boy could have sworn her aura felt different than before.

 _ **What is she doing?**_

Before he could ponder further, Cinder launched herself down in a blow that would have cut the prince in two if he hadn't blocked in time. The force and heat of the attack was intense, and he found himself becoming more and more focused on her movements as her slashes became more rapid. His teachings came into his mind, all the hours of study and training, and he made the conscious decision to push himself further.

Cinder's next attack looked to be aimed at Dunden's torso, but the prince stepped forward instead of blocking. He knew she was not trying to actually kill him, though injury seemed perfectly acceptable, and the momentary hesitation she had upon realizing she may actually strike him down was all Dunden needed. He pushed forward into the strike, but ducked beneath her arm and threw himself into a close spin around her body. The swordswoman's footing stammered slightly as she tried to counter, giving the boy just enough time to reappear in front of her and slam the hilt of his blade directly into the girl's forehead.

 _ **Wait.**_

He watched the pyromancer stammer backwards, drop her swords, and cover her face with her hands. The adrenaline rush he had been running on came to a sudden and complete crash as he heard quiet, muffled cries of pain came from the girl.

 _ **Oh, no.**_

Dunden quickly made his way over to the wounded pyromancer, overcome by the pit of emotion in his chest. He immediately regretted his action, even if they were made in the interest of defending himself. The boy reached a hand out as he moved closer, almost oblivious to the faint glow coming from the Shard on his finger.

"Cinder," he said with an unusual worried tone, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

The boy was not able to finish his sentence. Instead, he found himself forced directly into the pool of saltwater behind him. The water felt cool, though it did little to stop the burning pain of the point blank strike Cinder had landed. As he pain and sudden lack of oxygen kept him from getting his bearings, a single thought popped into his head.

 _ **I probably deserved that.**_

-x-

Aero did not know whether or not to smile as he watched Ruby working diligently on rebuilding her precious weapon. Part of him couldn't help but look on as she and Qrow inspected the scythe's mechanical parts, something he himself had almost no clue how to do; however, she seemed far more tense than he had ever seen her be. Even in deadly combat, the hooded girl never had the look of intense thought she now wore. Maybe she just cared that much for Crescent Rose, but something about her mood seemed off.

The prince felt worried about the girl, but was pulled from his own thoughts by a small glimmer of light from Beta. His body relaxed as small wave of warmth spread across his body, followed quickly by a refreshing coolness. The energy felt like it had at the beach, like Selena herself could have been standing by him with Delta. This feeling was different, however, and even more familiar.

 _ **Dunden?**_

-x-

Cinder winced at the now throbbing pain in her forehead. Her vision was blurry, but she was able to see Dunden's impact as he fell into the water. She felt the strangest mix of admiration and rage at the boy for actually managing to hurt her, an act of which the small amount of blood on her hand was proof. She would have liked to say it was a ploy to get him to lower his guard, but she was genuinely stunned by the hit, so her blast had a _bit_ more power than she would have normally used.

 _Where is he?_

The girl picked up her blades and stood near the dock, but she was unable to see him in the dark waters. Part of her almost considered jumping in after him to make sure he hadn't drowned. The prince had sounded genuine when he apologized for the attack, as idiotic as it was to do so in the middle of a fight, and she felt a seed of worry grow in her. Still, she waited.

 _Come on. I know you're okay._

Cinder continued to scan the surface, looking for any trace of the boy. Actual fear crept into her mind at the thought of him not resurfacing. Part of it was a concern for him, but an even greater part was the thought of what _her_ reaction would be if the boy died.

 _No. If he dies, he just failed._

A few more seconds past.

 _He'll… maybe… wait._

A blue light began to glow beneath the middle of the water as the surface started churning, the same color of the ring the white hooded woman had given him. Cinder knew something was about to come her way, so she decided to act preemptively and launch a stream of flame into the pool. It likely wouldn't amount to much, but just letting whatever was going continue didn't seem to be in her best interest.

Cinder launched her attack toward the light, only for her flames to be doused by a jet of water that sprung from beneath the surface. The liquid was a more indigo hue than Dunden's normal aura, but she could still tell it was his. To make matters worse, she found herself engulfed by the stream and forced her backwards. She coughed up water as she tried to pick herself up off the ground until she noticed the blade pointed down at her and the exhausted breathing of its wielder.

"I... win."

Cinder was still trying to process what had just happened. One moment she seemed to be winning, and the next she was coughing up water with a sword at her throat. She almost cursed at herself for losing, though she knew it was only a portion of her power, but it still stung like the bruise on her head. Strangely enough, she still found a small smile find its way onto her lips.

"Yes," she said with heavy breaths. "You… did."

The boy held his weapon still for a moment as his own breathing slowed, but he soon disconnected and sheathed his blades before reaching out his hand. Cinder almost considered attacking him then, but decided it would be in poor taste. Instead, she took up his offer and let him help her to her feet.

"You certainly are full of surprises."

The boy said nothing as he looked away from her. He may have been trying to look angry, but Cinder found the expression amusing.

"You said I'd tell you what you wanted to know when we were finished, right? Follow me then. I have something to show you."

The girl took a few steps towards one of the hallways when she noticed the boy was not following her. He took a few quick glances at her, but turned his eyes away a millisecond later. She walked back up to him, curious about his behavior.

"Is something wrong?"

He remained silent for a moment before whispering his response.

"...clothes."

 _What does he… oh._

Perhaps it was just the shock of being defeated, but Cinder had neglected to realize both she and her opponent were completely drenched. He was wearing a dark robe, but her dress wasn't exactly… opaque. Though she would never admit it to anyone, she actually felt a burning sensation in her cheeks and quickly reached out to put a hand on the boy's shoulder. She let a wave of her fiery aura wash over them and they were both completely dry a second later.

"When I said I had something to show you," she said with clearly fake confidence, "I didn't mean that."

She then turned back to the hallway, let her panicked expression fill her a moment, and listened to nothing but the sound of their footsteps fill the air as she screamed inside her head.

-x-

Zek sat in his makeshift nest, looking over at the books stacked in the corner. Oobleck had given him some things to look over, and he was starting to make sense of everything. He was genuinely enjoying the early morning air flow in through the window, but the cool breeze was quickly overshadowed by an icier chill. The door opened a moment later to reveal Weiss, who was wearing the type of smile that would likely haunt the boy's nightmares for weeks to come.

"Good morning, Zek," she said cheerfully.

"G-good morning, Weiss." He was trying to keep his fear under control, but he swore the room was getting colder. "Is there anything I could help you with?"

"Perhaps." She took a few steps towards him, which is when the eagle noticed her weapon was strapped to her hip. "I have something I'd like you to read."

"Oh," he said with the smallest amount of actual excitement as she held out her scroll. "I've been working on this. Let's see here. It's from Ruby."

"Yes."

"She's at the school… Aero… that's a capital "Q"... and…"

"..."

"... oh."

"Yeeeaaahh. Do you see the problem?"  
"She misspelled Adamantine," he said with a terrified smile. "I'm pretty sure what she put is owned by Marvel. Or Fox, if we're talking movies."

"That's not what I meant," she said as she put a hand on her sword's hilt. "Let's have a talk, Zek."

"I'd actually prefer if we didn-"

"What's going on in here?" The two look over to see Blake standing in the doorway.

"Blake! Please, I need you to-" He stopped the instant he noticed a rapier had suddenly materialized in front of his eyes.

"We're just discussing something, and we'd both like a little privacy."

The eagle tried mouthing _Help me_ to the fellow faunus, but Blake just closed the door. Part of him felt utterly betrayed, but part of him knew he'd probably do the same thing.

"Now," said Weiss, "where were we?"

"... can you just promise me one little thing?" he said as he started shaking.

"What is it?" she replied in a creepy amount of happiness.

"Please don't stab me if you don't like what you hear."


End file.
